Peregrine Falcons

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Through a brief text and a generous selection of large color plates, the
author conveys the fascination with peregrines that has persisted
throughout their long and unusual history. She introduces these small
birds of prey as gods worshipped by the ancient Egyptians, as
“tools” for medieval falconers, as sources of intrigue and mystery
for modern birders. Her emphasis, however, is on the peregrines’
recent brush with extinction, brought about by pesticide poisoning, and
the massive human intervention that has resulted in moving the birds off
the endangered list in some areas.

The book is beautiful to look at. With nearly 100 stunning photos
gathered from 35 photographers, it gives a close-up look at every stage
of the peregrine’s life history, from egg through hatchling to chick,
“teenager,” and adult in breeding plumage. Habitat, nests, flight,
hunting, bathing, markings, feeding young, and so forth are vividly
illustrated in photos of dazzling clarity and beauty. Their quality is
especially impressive given that peregrines live high on cliffs or
skyscrapers, fly at tremendous heights, and dive at speeds of more than
200 kilometres an hour.

The text does a good job of explaining the complex DDT poisoning issue,
and puts the success of the rescue efforts into perspective. Although in
many parts of its range the peregrine is no longer in danger of
extinction, its numbers are still a very small fraction of the pre-DDT
levels (even in areas where rescue efforts have been most successful),
and there are large areas of its former range where recovery is still a
remote goal.

The work will appeal to birders and those interested in ecology and
nature photography.