The Pacific Flyway

An immense pathway of avian migration tracks along the west coasts of North and South America, encompassing half the circumference of the globe. Experience and understand the wonders and the science of bird migration in this richly visual book. Why do some birds travel from the arctic to the Antarctic--and back again--each year? By telling the stories of waterbirds--including the Arctic Tern, Western Sandpiper, and Harlequin Duck--and the places where they touch down, the delicate miracle of migration is revealed. As the book follows these birds from breeding grounds in the north to wintering locales in the south, the grand ecosystem of the whole west coast of the Pacific comes into view. River estuaries, wetlands, beaches, and lakes matter because where there's mud, there's food for birds. Migrating birds have evolved into highly efficient long-range flyers: light bones, strong muscles, broad wings, and fat (they metabolize a special kind that doesn't contain water, so it's light). The Pacific Flyway perfectly blends amazing photography, science writing, and storytelling to invite readers to feel part of a much bigger world.