Pacific Flyway: Waterbird Migration from the Arctic to Tierra del Fuego

Visually stunning and expertly presented, this work from biologist Benedict (The Salish Sea), retired research zoologist Hammerson, and ornithologist Butler (The Great Blue Heron) spotlights bird migrations along the Pacific coast. In admiring prose, the authors marvel at seagulls, ducks, snow geese, and other “feathered ambassadors” whose “biannual continent-spanning migrations... exemplify the extraordinary connectedness, complexity, and wonder of the natural world.” Delving into the geography and vast distances involved, the authors start by describing the contours of the Pacific Flyway, which extends from the Arctic Ocean and Bering Strait between Russia and Alaska, down the Pacific coasts of both North and South America, to the “northern fringes of Antarctica.” They also highlight migratory stopping points along the way, such as Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a “large pristine [area] threatened by proposed oil and gas developments,” and Argentina’s Estuario del Río Gallegos, whose “tidal mudflats and marshes annually support large flocks of shorebirds.” The descriptions of these places are paired with plentiful color photographs depicting sky, water, and countless birds. Readers who want to learn about bird migrations will find this volume educational, while those simply in search of escape will find it a stimulating and scenic journey. (Feb.)