Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Migration Update: April 19, 2007

Today's Report Includes:

Please Report
Your Sightings! >>

Where's the hummer nest? >
Photo © Sky High Photography
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
Rufous Questions >                Rubythroat Questions > 

Highlights: Storms East, Surge in Alaska!
Another spring storm and cold snap hit in the East last week. Temperatures dipped as low as the teens, and flowers and leaves froze. Many of you worried about the future of our fragile, nectar-sipping Rubythroats. Our maps tell us that at least some kept coming! One even crossed into Canada. What will next week's weather bring? Look at this temperature forecast map, then predict what it means for hummers. >

Observers in Alaska saw bumblebees, blueberry buds, and other signs of spring! So we weren't surprised to get news of six new Rufous hummingbird sightings near Juneau. Can you find the orange dots on the map? (Hint: Some are on top of each other.) How much farther north do you think Rufies will travel?

Discover what some keen-eyed observers shared this week:
Hummingbird Action reports! >

Journal Question: Will Rubythroats Survive?

Snow in Louisiana! Can you find the Rubythroat? >
Photo: Connie Welch
  • How do you think the storms and cold of the past two weeks affected Ruby-throated hummingbirds and their migration?

  • Write down your ideas in your Hummingbird Journal >>

Expert Opinion: Most Hummers Okay

Did the cold snap hurt the tiny Rubythroats? Our hummingbird expert Lanny Chambers thinks that most of them did just fine. Discover why!

  • Report: Cold Snap? Lanny Chambers says . . . >>
  • Questions (Choose a few for journaling or discussion!) >>
Slideshow: Building the Perfect Nest!
Slideshow >>

Many hummers are still making the long Journey North. But the females that already arrived and mated have big plans. Their instinct tells them to build nests that are cushy, waterproof, and stronger than steel! Discover some of their secrets:

  • Building a Hummingbird Nest: Strong, Soft, and Stretchy >>
This Week's Hummingbird Resources
  • Activity: Build a Hummingbird Nest! >>
  • Activity: Chore Chart for Raising Hummingbirds: Duties for Males and Females >>
  • Instructions: How to Create a Haven for Hummingbirds >>
  • Questions and Answers: Expert Answers to Your Hummingbird Questions >>
  • Reading Strategies: Reading with Experts: Navigating Difficult Passages >>
  • Mapping: Key Lessons & Resources: Making, Reading and Interpreting 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 26, 2007

 

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