Nature's fastest flyer, the peregrine falcon can swoop at speeds approaching 100 mph in pursuit of songbirds, shorebirds, and other flying prey. What better way to familiarize students with latitude and longitude than to follow the travels of these swift birds on their spring journey from the Tropics to Alaska?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Skip Ambrose has been tracking nine peregrine falcons since August when he fitted them with satellite backpacks on their nesting grounds along Alaska's Yukon River. His agency is responsible for protecting U.S. endangered species, a challenge in the case of peregrines who spend most of the year outside U.S. territory. Students will encounter the same complicated questions that face these scientists.
At the same time, they students will investigate some of the greatest wonders of migration. Because these falcons are relatedÑin some cases they're mother-daughter pairsÑ this research probes into such questions as: Which aspects of migration are learned and which are inherited? Why is the survival rate of young migratory birds so low? (In the case of peregrines only 35% survive their first year.) Do related falcons travel the same migratory routes? Do they travel to the same destinations? Students will analyze the wealth of satellite-telemetry data which Ambrose has collected during the past two years.
© Journey North 1996