Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Migration Update: April 5, 2007

Today's Report Includes:

Please Report
Your Sightings! >>

A Rufous says, "Buzz off!"
Photo: Ed Robertson
The Migration: Maps, Questions, and Highlights

Distribution Map

Rufous
Hummingbird

This Week's Map >>
Sightings (for your maps) >>
Week-by-Week Animation >>

Ruby-throated
Hummingbird

This Week's Map >>
Sightings (for your maps) >>
Week-by-Week Animation >>

Handouts: Today's Hummingbird Map Questions
About the Rufous Migration >            About the Rubythroat Migration >

Highlights: Rubythroats Rushing, But Rufies Hung Up!
You'd think that Ruby-throated hummers were racing the clock! Home schoolers in Oklahoma were worried because their first male came 11 days earlier than ever before. (Would food and shelter be available?) This week, explore what's spurring on the Rubythroats. (Think and discuss >)

Out West, Rufous hummingbirds seem to be stopped in their tracks just north of the border. One bold bird actually peeked in an observer's window! "We hadn't put the feeder up yet. I think he remembered where it had been." Hard to believe? Bird banders have discovered that hummers will return to the same spots year after year. Keep looking and listening for yours!

In this week's slideshow, follow the antics of male hummingbirds. They now have an overwhelming instinct: set up a territory, defend it, and try to impress a female hummer. And that's no easy task!
Journal: Seeing Spring Changes from Space
Handout >>

Snapshots of our globe from space can sometimes help us see the big picture! What does this NASA image "tell" you about the Ruby-throated hummingbird migration?

  • Click for a larger image and questions >>

  • Write your answers in your Journey North Hummingbird journal >>
Slideshow: Males on a Mission!
Slideshow >>

Male hummers heading north have no choice in the matter. They have an overwhelming urge to set up territories — and more. And that's no easy task! Let's discover why.

  • Slideshow: Make Way for Nesting: A Tale of Territories, Thieves, and Courtship >>

  • Slideshow Handout >>

Compare: How Does This Year Measure Up?

Are this year's hummer migrations ahead of, behind, or the same as other years? Maps showing our long-term data will help you decide!

<< Rufous migrations

Rubythroat migrations >>
It's time to start your hummingbird habitat or garden!
How to Create a Haven for Hummingbirds! >>
This Week's Hummingbird Resources
  • Slideshow: Make Way for Nesting: A Tale of Territories, Thieves, and Courtship >>
  • Lesson: How Many Miles Per Day Does the Migration Travel? >>
  • Video Clip: 15 Seconds with a Male Hummingbird >>
  • Teaching Tips: Assessment Strategies and Tools >>
  • Questions: Making Sense of Journey North Maps >>
  • Hummingbird Migration Journals (click-and-print) >>
  • Hummingbirds for Kids (booklets, photos, videos) >>
More Hummingbird Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Hummingbird Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 12, 2007

 

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