Habitat Ready?
As spring advances and sunlight increases, a host of natural events are set in motion. Temperatures rise, ice melts, soil warms, and plants grow. When will your local habitat be ready to provide what hummingbirds will need?
- Look at the images for clues about what hummingbirds need.
- Use the guiding questions to explore the sun-driven chain of events that must occur before breeding habitat is ready for hummingbirds.
- Mark up a map to predict when and where hummingbirds will arrive.
Predicting Arrival
When will hummingbirds arrive in your backyard? How would you describe a habitat that is ready for their arrival? Photo by Alexis Hayes
Survival Needs
If you were a hummingbird, what would your ideal habitat be? Photo by Alandra
Sunlight and Seasonal Change
What seasonal changes need to happen before hummingbirds can get what they need? How can day length help us predict arrival times? Photo by Pamela Johnson
Spring Breeding Grounds
How does a habitat help hummingbirds survive? Photo by Verle Stuve
Chain of Events
Sunlight drives seasonal change. Think about changes the sun will bring about this season: changes in nonliving things (temperatures and water) and changes in living things (plants and animals). Track the changes and make predictions.