Jessica Manna-Joyce, Veterans Elementary School

Ocean County

Bobolink. Ocean County. Jessica Manna-Joyce Bertha the Bobolink

Hi! My name is Bertha the Bobolink. I am only 2.5 centimeters long! I have magnificent colors! I have yellow surrounding my whole body with little patches of black and white. You can find me in wildflowers or in meadows in New Jersey. My favorite snacks are seeds, oats, grain, corn, insects and rice crops. By the way did I mention that I am a bird? My mom and my dad made my brother, my sisters and I a cup nest and my dad fed us until we flew away in 14 days.

See there are many good parts about a bobolink and there are some bad things that people do to bobolinks. Here are some bad things - I have been dying from humans shooting us thinking that we are pests. You should help us because we are decreasing every minute of the day. We have been decreasing since 1952 and right now our status is threatened. Also, farmers keep mowing our nest which is killing my family. Who knows, I may be next.

Some ways that kids can help me survive are they cannot destroy my nest and clean up my environment. Some things that adults can do is they can put away their guns. I am not a pest! I hope that my kind doesn't die out and become extinct.

Written by: Jessica Manna –Joyce

Veterans Elementary School, Brick

Teacher: Mrs. Suzanne Kurasz