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Hummingbird Migration Update: March 19, 1998 Latest Migration Data Suggestions for Analyzing Hummingbird Migration Data Non-stop Flights Now Departing Challenge Question # 1 How Much Does a Hummingbird Weigh? Challenge Question # 2 Unpave the Way for Hummingbirds Latest Migration Data Report the FIRST hummingbird you see this spring to Journey North! The hummingbird migration is humming! Here are the first 80 sightings for your migration maps; 45 ruby-throated hummers in the East, and 35 rufous hummers in the West. Special thanks to hummingbird friend and aficionado Lanny Chambers who has generously offered to contribute hummingbird sightings posted to his WWW site, "Hummingbirds". Be sure to visit. Links to Hummingbird Migration Data Ruby-throated Hummingbirds Rufous Hummingbirds Prepare for Landing When you see your first hummingbird this year, be sure to let us know. In the meantime, we hope your hummingbird feeder is ready for their arrival. Link to Hummingbird Feeders on the Internet Suggestions for Analyzing Hummingbird Migration Data Here are some ways you can use the migration data you'll find in each report: 1. Plot today's sightings on a map of North America. We suggest using color-coded stickers, with a different color to represent each 2 week time period. 2. Record the dates hummingbirds have been reported at each location. What patterns do you see? Based on these sightings, can you identify waves of migrants moving in certain directions? 3. How do the migrations of the 2 hummingbird species compare? In what ways are they similar, and how are they different? 4. Which ruby-throated hummingbirds do you think might have CROSSED the Gulf of Mexico? Which do you think might have flown AROUND the Gulf of Mexico? Where do you suspect hummers may have over-wintered this year? 5. What can you say about the temperatures in those states where hummers were spotted in late February? In March? What are the daily high, low and average temperatures in these states now? 6. During the 2 weeks between migration updates, collect daily weather maps from your newspaper (or download weather maps from the WWW). Pay careful attention to temperatures and weather conditions in those regions where hummers have already appeared. 7. Predict how far north each species of hummingbird will have traveled by our next update. Make a list of the states and provinces which you think hummingbirds will have reached by then. Non-stop Flights Now Departing As shown on this range map, ruby-throated hummingbirds spend the winter in north-central Mexico, through Central America, and as far south as central Costa Rica. Maps Courtesy of Macalester College The trip back-- taking place at this very moment-- is among the most incredible in the bird world. Imagine hummingbirds gathering at the tip of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, and waiting there until their instincts say the wind and weather are right. Whey they take off they must cross the open ocean--unable to stop, drink, eat or rest until they reach the other side. For as many as 500 miles they travel through what are the riskiest hours of their lives.(Depending on their destination, some individuals probably travel up the coast. See map.) Challenge Question # 1 "How long do you think it would take a hummingbird to fly across the Gulf of Mexico? How long do you think it would take a ship to travel the same distance?" (To respond to this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.) How Much Does a Hummingbird Weigh? Perhaps hummingbirds' tiny size is what makes interest in them so large. The ruby-throat's nest is not much bigger than a ping-pong ball, its eggs are the size of jelly beans, and it weighs only 1/10th of an ounce. It's hard to imagine how light they actually are! Challenge Question # 2 "Besides a ruby-throated hummingbird, what other things weigh 1/10th of an ounce?" (To respond to this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.) Let's see how many we can find! We'll post a list of all the different things students can name. Unpave the Way for Hummingbirds Get ready for hungry hummingbirds! In addition to tracking their migration this spring, we hope you'll help hummingbirds along the way by creating habitat for them. Many helpful people and resources can be accessed through this WWW site. When your habitat project is complete, report back to Journey North. We'll add your site our "Unpave the Way for Wildlife" map, showing where you've helped make life better for the wildlife that shares your home. Link to Unpave the Way for Wildlife Project Where to Purchase a Hummingbird Feeder How to Respond to Today's Challenge Questions IMPORTANT: Please answer ONLY ONE question in EACH e-mail message. 1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-hummingbird@learner.org 2. In the Subject Line of your message write: Challenge Question # 1 (or #2) 3. In the body of EACH message, answer ONLY ONE of the questions above. The Next Hummingbird Migration Update Will be Posted on April 2, 1998