A Ruby-throated Hummingbird Visits the Classroom

A tiny, stunned Ruby-throated Hummingbird

One morning a boy and his mom brought in a shoebox with a tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird in it.  It had been injured by their cat and couldn't seem to fly.  The good news is that later on when she took the bird home, it had improved and it was able to fly away!

The students were SO excited to see a little hummingbird up close.  The bird was about as tiny as a k-kid's thumb and such a beautiful metallic green.

Like I usually do when something like this comes to light, I cease the moment to teach about it.  I read some library books about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and we watched a video about them on the Promethean board too.  It was interesting and here is what we learned:

• The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common hummingbird in the eastern part of the U.S.
• They can fly backwards and upside down.
• They migrate during daytime hours instead of at night like many small birds do.
• Their nest is the size of half a walnut shell and the female usually lays two tiny eggs.
• They eat a juice in flowers called nectar and they also eat insects.
• This bird is attracted to the color red and reddish flowers.
• The hummingbird's enemies are dragonflies, Praying Mantis, and frogs.  They also can get caught in spider webs and be eaten by spiders!  The biggest problem for them are glass windows as they often crash into them.