Hawk Highway in the Sky: Watching Raptor Migration - Hardcover

Arnold, Caroline

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152008683 ISBN 13: 9780152008680

Publisher: Gulliver Books, 1997

Synopsis

Follows the endeavors of the scientists and volunteers of HawkWatch International as they scan the skies about the Goshute Mountains to track the migratory routes of raptors and explains what such research tells us about the environment.

About this title

About the Authors

Caroline Arnold always loved books, but as a child she never thought of writing as a career. Born in Pittsburgh, she grew up in Minneapolis and studied art at Grinnell College and the University of Iowa. "It was only after my children were born that I became acquainted with children's books and it occurred to me that I could use my training to become a children's book illustrator. I soon realized that I needed a text to go with the pictures, and the more I wrote, the more I realized that I liked writing as much as or more than drawing. I've always been fascinated by the natural world and love to go to the parks and museums. Perhaps that is why so many of my books are about scientific topics." Arnold is now the award-winning author of more than 100 books for children. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, a neuroscientist, and teaches writing at UCLA Extension. For more information visit www.carolinearnoldbooks.com.

No Bio

Reviews

Grade 4 Up. This short, informative book details the habits and migration patterns of various raptors and shows, in clear, full-color photos, the capture, measurement, and banding processes used at the HawkWatch International observation site in the Goshute Mountains of Nevada?the busiest raptor trapping and banding location in western North American. Although the book's focus is on migration habits and the capture and tracking of birds, Arnold has included enough information about the classification of hawks, physical characteristics, and habits of raptors to make this title a good source for reports. Children who are fascinated with birds of prey will be drawn to the many outstanding close-up photos. A thorough index makes locating information easy despite the lack of chapters or headings in the report-style text. A list of raptors organized by family and class, and a map showing some of the migration observation sites in North America, add to the usefulness. An attractive and interesting presentation.?Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Each fall and spring scientists and volunteers from HawkWatch International gather at Goshute Mountain, Nevada, to count the thousands of raptors that fly overhead on their annual migratory journey. Arnold (Stone Age Farmers Beside the Sea, p. 296, etc.) describes how scientists classify the various raptors, investigate why and how they migrate, and study and measure birds. At Goshute Mountain, over 10,000 hawks, eagles, kites, harriers, osprey, falcons, and caracaras are counted annually, and nearly 4,000 are trapped, banded, and released. Full-color photographs provide dramatic close-ups of these magnificent birds, although sensitive readers may find it somewhat disconcerting to see so many of these free-flyers in the grasp of well-meaning volunteers. Arnold concludes with a list of the 31 different species of raptors found in North America and a map. Without size and range information for species, silhouettes, or comparison drawings done to scale, it's difficult to gauge the size of these birds; further, readers will have to know if a bird is a hawk or a falcon in order to locate a species in the brief index. An attractive though specialized volume. (map, index) (Picture book/nonfiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4-6. As hawks, eagles, and falcons pass over Nevada's Goshute Mountains, scientists and the volunteers of HawkWatch International observe, catch, and measure the birds, charting statistics and plotting migration patterns. The steps in this process, along with information on habits and habitats of the raptors, are lucidly detailed by veteran nature writer Arnold. HawkWatch volunteer Robert Kruidenier's sharply shot full-color photographs (many of them close-ups) work well with Arnold's clear, well-organized text, capturing the fierce beauty of the birds as well as the scientists' painstaking work. A useful breakdown of day-flying raptors and migration sites is appended. Candace Smith

Edition details

• Publisher: Gulliver Books
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152008683
• ISBN 13: 9780152008680
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 48