Synopses & Reviews
Hawks fly at very high altitudes, sometimes over water, and thus their flight behavior and migration patterns are extremely difficult to study. Now, based on nearly ten years of research, this book provides the most complete analysis to date of how hawks migrate. Paul Kerlinger has employed both direct observations and radar techniques to obtain a much more accurate understanding of the migratory behavior of hawks and the "decisions" they make in flight. And, he has integrated data on the flight behavior of raptors in general with information about their ecology, physiology, evolution, and nonmigratory behavior.
Kerlinger begins with an overview, discussing ecology and geography, research methods, natural history, and evolution, and atmospheric structure. He then addresses specific aspects of flight behavior: aerodynamics, morphology, mechanics, direction, altitude, flocking, water crossing, speed selection, daily distance traveled, and flight strategies. Kerlinger describes each aspect of behavior quantitatively, testing mechanistic hypotheses. In conclusion, he examines how migrants integrate these behavioral components. Throughout the text he draws comparisons between the migratory flight behavior of hawks and that of other taxa. By means of such comparisons, researchers can gain insight into the selective pressures that shape the behavior of migrant species.
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. The Ecology and Geography of Hawk Migration
2. Methods of Studying Migrating Hawks
3. Natural Selection and the Study of Migration
4. Structure of the Atmosphere
5. Flight Mechanics: Theory
6. Flight Mechanics: Empirical Research
7. Flight Direction: The Roles of Wind, Topography, and Geography
8. Altitude of Flight and Visibility of Migrants
9. Flocking Behavior
10. Water Crossing Behavior
11. Selection of Flight Speed: Maximizing Distance Traveled
12. Daily Flight Distance: Simulations and Data
13. Flight Strategies of Migrating Hawks and Future Research
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
References
Index