Peregrine'S Journey, The

Description

Editor’s Choice, Science Books & Films Date: May/June 2001 The Peregrine’s Journey: A Story of Migration is based on the migration of a real female peregrine falcon that was tracked via satellite telemetry by the U.S. Wildlife Service from its summer residence in Alaska to its wintering grounds in Argentina, over 8,000 miles away. The author begins the book by describing the events in September that signal the peregrine that it is time to migrate. When the bird begins her migration, she tells how she uses instinct and her excellent eyesight to identify mountains and rivers that guide her on her way south. The migration requires a lot of energy and exposes the peregrine to numerous dangers. The author tells how the peregrine eats pigeons, doves and other prey and how she bathes herself after eating a messy meal. Since migration is tiring, the peregrine stops on the Texas coast to rest and to build up a reserve of energy for her long flight over the Gulf of Mexico. During her first night over the water, she perches on a ship’s mast to rest. A few days later, she flies over Guatemala and then Panama. Along the way, she joins other peregrines on their way south and a flock of Swainson’s and broad-winged hawks flying the same route. From Panama, she flies over the ocean to Colombia and then on to Brazil. As she nears the end of her journey, she begins to fly fewer miles each day. One night in Bolivia, she is lucky and does not wind up being dinner for a great horned owl. Finally, the falcon arrives in Argentina; where she will stay until next March, when she migrates back to Alaska. This well-illustrated, well-written book provides a wealth of information about peregrine falcons, bird migration, and predator-prey relationships. It would be an excellent addition to a school library or to a child’s personal library. I recommend The Peregrine’s Journal highly. —James W. Kessler, Spring, TX