Hummingbird Nature Study

Attract

First you need to attract the hummingbirds to your area. (More information below.)

Predict

Once the hummingbirds are coming around, take note of when they seem to be most active at the feeders. (For us in Tennessee, lunch time and early afternoon seemed to be the busiest time for the birds.) Schedule time to watch for the birds, sitting outside with binoculars and a sketch pad.

See and Draw

Photograph or sketch the birds. Take note of their colors and how the light affects the color. If capturing this is difficult, print some illustrations from the internet to help you. (See the section with public domain works for some good, full-color illustrations.) Younger students may want to use a coloring page (also linked below).

Study Behavior

Observe hummingbird behavior. How do they act to one another? Do some seem especially aggressive? Do they favor a particular feeder? Where do they prefer to perch nearby?

Note your observations and write them neatly onto hummingbird notebooking pages for your nature notebook or journal.

Read

Compare what you saw to what you read about hummingbirds. This fact sheet about the ruby throated hummingbird, the most common North American hummer, is a good place to start. Lower on this page there are books linked, some at Amazon and others in the public domain.

Observation is important because you want to teach your children how to do science themselves rather than only relying on the work of others. After spending a few hours observing hummingbird behavior, what you read will only serve to confirm what you already have discovered on your own. This is a great boost to children when they realize that they can figure out on their own, through careful observation, what the natural science books say.

Some things, however, you may not have a chance to observe, so the books will be helpful. You may not spot a nest or see hummingbird eggs, for example.

It was only after we put up a feeder that we could begin to recognize the hummingbirds in our yard. By watching them leave the feeder, we could trace their favorite perches. We even grew to recognize their perky little chirps and their threatening calls as they swooped around the feeder.

At first we assumed we had a couple of hummingbirds. But after sitting outdoors to observe them for an extended time, we realized that there were at least a dozen of them in our area. 

At times there were so many fighting around the feeder that it was exhilirating to be on the porch with them. They whiz past so quickly that you can feel the air from their wings. Our hummingbirds were not afraid of us. As long as we were still, they would hover right up to us. 

Hummingbird Notebooking Pages Set
Five printable pages with black and white graphics.

Homeschool Helper Online Notebooking Page
A single lined page with a full color hummingbird graphic in the corner.

Sheri's Hummingbird Pages
A fact sheet to fill out plus copywork about the fascinating bird.

Cornell Labs Bird Coloring Book
Included in this fabulous coloring book is a page on the ruby throated hummingbird.

Arkansas Birds Coloring Book
The first bird featured is the tiny ruby throated hummingbird.

Growing Wild: Hummingbirds
A long PDF with detailed information about hummingbirds and a printable game for learning about their life cycle and habitat requirements.

Hummingbird Coloring Page
This page has large words across the top: Animals, Broadbill Hummingbird, Birds

Hummingbird Activity Guide
This teaching guide goes along with a children's book about hummingbirds. The final two pages are printables that you may be able to use for your study -- a diagram and a graphic organizer.