Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Migration Update: April 3, 2008

Today's Report Includes:

Please Report
Your Sightings! >>

What's his secret? >>
Photo: Martin Dollenkamp
The Migration: Highlights, Maps, and Questions

Distribution Map

Rufous
Hummingbird

This Week's Map >>
Sightings >>

Ruby-throated
Hummingbird

This Week's Map >>
Sightings >>

Handouts: Today's Hummingbird Map Questions >>  

Highlights: Rubythroats Now in 20 States!
"After school yesterday, I looked out my window and was delighed to see a male rubythroat dining among the blueberry blossoms!" Rubythroats marched into 6 new states this week. Have they reached you yet? A few brave scouts moved right up the East coast. (Remember, coasts are usually warmer than inland locations at the same latitudes.) What more can you learn about last week's migration from this temperature map? >>

Out West, Rufous hummingbirds still seem to be stopped in their tracks just north of the border. Observers in Washington report rufies in the midst of snowfalls. It's no wonder they're hunkering down!

This week, explore the migration maps, a cool view from space, and tips on planning a hummingbird habitat. Then come back next week to discover how migrating hummingbirds use their amazing acrobatic abilities to survive!
Journal: Seeing Spring Changes from Space
Handout >>

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

  • Click for a larger image and questions >>

Image: NASA
How To: Create a Haven for Hummingbirds!

Photo: Ed Robertson

Hummingbirds rely on nectar for the quick energy they need to migrate, find and defend food sources, and more. You can attract hummingbirds to your schoolyard, and help them survive their long journey, by hanging and maintaining a feeder. If you also grow a hummingbird garden to provide natural nectar plants, you'll offer a feast they can't resist! It's time to start planning your hummingbird habitat or garden.

  • How to Create a Haven for Hummingbirds! >>
This Week's Hummingbird Resources
  • Predictions and Results: 2008 Ruby-throated Hummingbird Spring Migration Route >>
  • Observe and Think: Seeing Spring Changes from Space >>
  • How To: Create a Haven for Hummingbirds >>
  • Activity: Flowers That Fuel Migration >>
  • Slideshow: How Hummers Keep Their Engines Running >>
  • Experiment: Surviving Cold Nights: Torpor >>
  • Hummingbirds for Kids: Wondering About Hummingbird Wings >>
  • Hummingbird Migration Journals (click-and-print) >>
More Hummingbird Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Hummingbird Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 10, 2008.

© 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.