About the Oriole Migration Study (Back to Oriole Home Page) Background Map by Macalester College When the oriole returns to its nest in your backyard this spring, it will have just completed a remarkable round trip journey to Central America and back! Plot the oriole's return journey and learn what it takes for this - and other species of "neotropical" migrants - to successfully complete this amazing flight. Neotropical migrants are birds that breed in North America and winter south of the U.S. border. An amazing 333 bird species are neotropical migrants!. Our story begins with reports from the neotropical migrants' wintering grounds in mexico and Central America. As songbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico on their annual nonstop flight, we'll explore the effect of weather on migration. As the journey continues, students across North America will report backyard sightings when the orioles and hummingbirds return. Student activities will run the spectrum from geography and math to the physical and life sciences. We will explore the physiology of flight, analyze banding data, learn about population dynamics, and learn some ways we can help orioles and other neotropical migrants survive. Report the FIRST Oriole you see this spring to Journey North What to Report to Journey North 1. Report the FIRST Oriole you see this spring. 2. Report that you've helped to "Unpave-the-Way" for orioles, as soon as you place your nectar feeder outside, set out nesting materials, or planted oriole-friendly trees. We'll include your site on our habitat map! See Unpave-the-Way for Wildlife. 3. Report "leaf-out" of your deciduous trees. Here's why: For many songbird species, the timing of spring migration may be related to leaf-out. This is because when leaves emerge, so do lots of insects. Songbirds may fuel their migration by following the leaf-out, and eating the millions of insects available at that time. With your help, we'd like to test whether these spring events are inter-related. Additional Activities and Resources Unpave the Way for Orioles Leaf-Out Study Life Cycle Sleuth Lesson Oriole Winter Life in Costa Rica Copyright 1999 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form