Gatherings of Angels: Migrating Birds and Their Ecology by Kenneth P. Able
How do migrating birds find their way to the right destination? How do they withstand the rigours of their long-distance flight? This text offers accounts from experts in avian migration who reveal not only the biology but also their sense of beauty and excitement at this natural spectacle. The book features 32 pages of colour photographs with additional black and white photographs throughout. Two chapters of background information on migration precede chapters that focus on different species or groups of birds and the localities essential to their survival - from the spring flights of songbirds across the Gulf of Mexico to the massing of sandhill cranes on the Platte River. The authors discuss the timing of migrant travel; the routes followed; and the concentration of birds in stopover sites - locations which must be preserved if they are to have safe resting spots with fresh water and ample food to fuel their journey.