Peregrine falcons are on the move! Just after responding to all your questions last week, biologist Skip Ambrose sent this note:
"Dear Students,
"Well, five minutes after I sent you the e-mail this morning, my friends at Lake Powell called and reported one bird, adult female with transmitter, was back on territory.
"It's Falcon #858, adult female. She wintered near Culiacan, Mexico, and was still there on March 3, 1996, the date of our last transmission. She was seen this morning, March 15, at her territory at Lake Powell, so she must have left Culiacan soon after March 3.
"Just wanted to pass this on. It does mean they can move fast when they want to!
"Talk to you later,
Skip
Challenge Question #52:
"At most, how many days did it take Falcon #858 to return to her breeding territory? How many miles per day might she have traveled?"
To respond to this Challenge Question please follow the instructions at the end of this report.
As you know, the falcons' transmitters are programmed to send signals every 20 days. Of the 12 falcons you're tracking, data from 7 arrived in the last 20 days.
We've included full data charts for each falcon below. We've also grouped the data so you can see which falcons came from Alaska's Yukon River and which came from Lake Powell, Utah. Look over the charts carefully and see what new information you find.
Notice that Falcon #665, a Utah bird, was still on the wintering grounds on March 19. On March 15, Falcon # 858 was already back in Utah.
Challenge Question #53:
"Why might this information be important to Skip Ambrose, keeping his research goals in mind?"
To respond to this Challenge Question, please follow the instructions at the end of this report.
This is an exciting time, now that the falcons are on the move. For the falcons, this is a particularly challenging time. Imagine all the obstacles they face along their journey. They must find food and water, avoid predators and late winter storms. Most importantly, they must navigate across the continent back to their nest. A needle in a haystack might be easier to find!
Which falcons do you think will make it back? On a piece of paper, write your prediction for each falcon. Keep in mind each bird's age and the distance it must travel.
Here Are the Data Charts:
YUKON-BOUND FALCONS
Date Latitude/Longitude
Falcon # 651 (Age=ASY)
11/23/95 5.963 N, 56.632 W
12/13/95 No Data
01/22/95 No Data
02/11/95 No Data
02/28/96 Weak Signal Received
Falcon # 652 (Age=ASY)
11/20/95 5.807 N, 68.921 W
12/10/95 7.909 N, 70.631 W
01/19/96 No Data
02/08/96 No Data
02/28/96 No Data
03/21/96 No Data
Falcon # 655 (Age=HY)
11/18/95 17.758 N, 92.145 W
12/08/95 17.816.N, 92.312 W
01/16/96 17.873 N, 92.616 W
02/05/96 No Data
02/25/96 17.842 N, 92.450 W
03/15/96 17.794 N, 92.450 W
Falcon # 658 (Age=HY)
11/17/95 20.684 N, 87.077 W
12/07/95 17.877 N, 89.331 W
01/05/96 No Data
02/02/96 No Data
02/22/96 17.927 N, 88.903 W
03/14/96 17.927 N, 88.954 W
Falcon # 867 (Age=ASY)
11/21/95 17.497 N, 91.241 W
12/11/95 17.488 N, 91.194 W
01/20/96 17.418 N, 91.126 W
02/09/96 17.485 N, 91.217 W
02/29/96 17.508 N, 91.258 W
03/19/96 17.447 N, 91.258 W
Falcon # 868 (Age=ASY)
11/19/95 18.428 N, 95.920 W
12/09/96 18.481 N, 95.949 W
01/18/96 18.471 N, 95.947 W
02/07/96 18.683 N, 95.503 W
03/18/96 No Data
Falcon # 871 (Age=HY)
11/21/95 61.411 N, 130.576 W
12/11/95 60.752 N, 133.576 W
01/20/96 No Data
02/08/96 No Data
03/17/96 No Data
UTAH-BOUND FALCONS
Falcon # 665 (Age=HY)
01/01/96 20.806 N, 105.165 W
02/28/96 20.918 N, 105.186 W
03/19/96 20.838 N, 105.209 W
Falcon # 858 (Age=ASY)
01/01/96 25.891 N, 108.732 W
03/03/96 25.885 N, 108.715 W
03/15/96 37.041 N, 111.724 W
Falcon # 859 (Age=ASY)
01/01/96 30.601 N, 112.307 W
02/29/96 32.623 N, 111.962 W
Falcon # 895 (Age=ASY)
11/20/95 22.102 N, 105.216 W
12/09/95 22.145 N, 105.209 W
01/19/96 No Data
02/08/96 No Data
02/26/96 22.107 N, 105.225 W
Falcon # 897 (Age=ASY)
11/21/95 22.058 N, 105.262 W
12/10/95 No Data
01/20/96 No Data
02/09/96 No Data
03/22/96 No data
How to Respond to Challenge Question #52:
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line write: Challenge Question #52.
3. In the body of the message, answer this question:
"At most, how many days did it take Falcon #858 to return to her breeding territory? How many miles per day might she have traveled?"
How to Respond to Challenge Question #53:
1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge@learner.org
2. In the Subject Line write: Challenge Question #53.
3. In the body of the message, answer this question:
"Why might the information about Falcons # 665 and # 858 in this report be important to Skip Ambrose, keeping his research goals in mind?"
The Next Peregrine Falcon Update Will be Posted on April 1, 1996
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