Last summer before the school began, Skip Ambrose travelled up the Yukon River in Alaska, captured 11 peregrine falcons and equipped them with tiny satellite transmitters. At the time he had countless unanswered questions about the migration they were about to undertake: Where would they go? Would they all go to the same place for the winter since they nest in the same region ? Would they leave at the same time and follow the same routes? When they arrived on their wintering grounds would they stay in one place or travel during the winter months? How many would survive the round trip and return to their nesting grounds next spring?
These questions are the kind that concern him as a scientist studying an endangered species. After all, though these birds nest in his home state of Alaska they don't spend all of their time there.
You're about to track these falcons from their just-discovered wintering grounds all the way back to their nesting grounds in Alaska. The information gained through this research will be used to form a conservation strategy that can protect the falcons during their entire life cycle.
The first set of date is provided below. Updates will be provided every Monday with the help of students of John Adams Middle School in Rochester, Minnesota.
Falcon Date Latitude Longitude Country? 22652 1/17/95 35.711 S 60.334 W 22653 12/25/94 14.074 N 89.255 W 22654 1/4/95 23.094 N 89.255 W 22656 1/3/95 18.596 N 95.658 W 22658 12/24/94 7.319 S 45.562 W 22660 1/9/95 18.627 N 95.538 W 22663 1/3/95 10.403 N 84.217 W
In what country was each falcon located on the dates indicated?
From how many of the 11 birds fitted with transmitters did Skip Ambrose receive signals in this report? What do you know about the missing birds?
Find each place in an atlas. What can you tell about the habitat the birds might be using at each location? What is the climate like in January in each place? Can you identify climatic or geographic features common to all the sites where the peregrines are found?
Imagine that you are scientist Skip Ambrose sitting at your desk in Fairbanks, Alaska. Make a list of all the things you would want to know about the environment at each place where the peregrines are wintering. What land use issues might effect the falcons in each region? Water use? What other human activities might interfere with the peregrines' needs?
Why don't peregrine falcons stay in Alaska all winter? If they stay in Alaska from late April to late August, what percent of their time are they there?
Why are peregrine falcons on the endangered species list? As you track the migrations of these falcons this spring, make a list of all the things that must be included when scientists design a conservation plan for them.
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