The Peregrine's Journey

A Story of Migration

Madeleine Dunphy author Kristin Kest illustrator

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Web of Life Children's Books

Published:13th Mar '08

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Peregrine's Journey cover

The Peregrine's Journey vividly describes one of the most remarkable feats in the animal kingdom. Beginning in Alaska and ending two months later in Argentina, the peregrine falcon's annual migration is an 8,000-mile flight across the Americas. This beautifully illustrated book allows young readers to follow one bird on its journey. Based on the actual migration of a real bird that was tracked by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the book is filled with amazing facts about the bird's diet, habits, and navigational abilities, as well as stunning views of the many habitats the peregrine visits along the way.

"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. Fish & 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 to 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 peregirine 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 JOURNEY highly. --James W. Kessler, Spring, TX Editor's Choice, SCIENCE BOOKS & FILMS "Madeleine Dunphy treats both her reader and the peregrine with dignity and respect. The pictures are starkly realistic, but Kest also catches a subtle, appealing cockiness in the peregrine's poise." --CHILDWATCH "Madeleine Dunphy's PEREGRINE'S JOURNEY presents a young peregrine falcon's year migration beginning in Northern Alaska and ending in Argentina. It reads like fiction but is filled with facts." --THE CHILDREN'S BOOKWATCH

ISBN: 9780977753925

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 155g

32 pages

First Trade Paper Edition