Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Migration Update: February 21, 2008

Today's Report Includes:

Please Report
Your Sightings! >>
What do you wonder about this hummer? >>
Photo: Sharon Forney
The Migration: Highlights, Maps, and Questions

Highlights: Wandering Winter Hummers?
Is something afoot with our hummingbirds? Just look at all the white dots on the maps. Let's think. It's still too early to see migrating rubythroats. (But stay tuned in the next week or two!) And the West Coast rufous reports don't likely signal the start of that migration. Many observers say that those birds — and the ones east of the Rockies — have been around for months. How can these tiny creatures survive far north of their normal wintering grounds? Why are more hummers than ever being reported out of their usual range? This week, let's use stories, photos, and maps to explore these questions.


Distribution Map

Rufous
Hummingbird

This Week's Map >>
Sightings >>

Ruby-throated
Hummingbird

This Week's Map >>
Sightings >>

Today's Hummingbird Map Questions (click-and-print handout) >>
Spotlight: How a Backyard Hummer Got Through the Winter

A hummingbird admirer from Texas tells us that a female rufous spent much of last winter hanging around her backyard. We know that most of them hole up down in Mexico. So this made us wonder, "How can a backyard habitat allow a little winter visitor to survive?" Please help us figure this out!

  • How a Backyard Rufous Got Through the Winter
    Slideshow >>  OR   Booklet >>
  • Student Handout >>
Journal: Is Your Habitat Ready?

After reading the "spotlight" story, think about what hummingbirds need to survive. Do you think hummingbirds could survive in your backyard or schoolyard habitat today?

  • Write your ideas in your Hummingbird Journal >>
  • Come back next week and we'll explore more!
Explore: Hummingbirds All Over the Map (But Who Are They?)

Picture this: A snow-covered rufous hummer!
 Rufous hummingbirds in the Midwest and East? Rubythroats north of the border in mid-winter? What should we make of these unusual reports? Let's explore!
  • << Rufous Hummingbirds Gone Astray?

  • Ruby-throated Hummers in the States! >>

How can rubythroats survive winter north of the border?

Read: Captured! One Hummingbird's Tale
Speaking of cool sightings . . . We weren't tracking hummingbirds' journey south last fall, but some people were. When two bird banders put a tiny tag on a rufous hummer's leg, they hoped someone else would find him. Discover why they were amazed!
  • A Surprising Hummingbird Recapture
    • Slideshow Story >>
    • Reading (grades 5+) >>
This Week's Hummingbird Resources
  • Teachers: Getting Started with the Hummingbird Migration >>
  • Tips: How to Use Journey North's Live Maps >>
  • Explore: Meet Two Hummingbird Species: Which is Which? >>
  • Predict: Where Will They Arrive, and When? Making Predictions >>
  • Teachers: Making Sense of Unusual Findings (Questions to Ask) >>
  • 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 March 6, 2008.

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