Island Girl Has Completed Her Southern Migration

Island Girl flew 243 km. (151 mi.) yesterday, and returned to the Putu dune fields along the coast near Talca, Chile, where she was first tagged nearly a year ago. Her migration from Baffin Island lasted 60 days and covered 13250 km. (8233 mi.), averaging 221 km. (137 mi.) per day.

Island Girl Nears Home

Island Girl took it fairly easy yesterday, covering only 130 km. (81 mi.), but that put her within about 220 km. of her destination. She has returned to the lowlands, and roosted last night less than 2 kilometers from the coast (20 kilometers north of the seaport of Valparaiso and about 120 kilometers northwest of Santiago).

Island Girl Hurrying Home

Island Girl appears to be in a sprint to the finish line now. She travelled 346 km. (215 mi.) yesterday and returned to the coastal foothills about 15 kilometers inland, roosting last night about 200 km. (125 mi.) north of Santiago.

Island Girl Staying in the Mountains

Island Girl remained in the high country yesterday, and had a somewhat bigger day than she has recently. These birds seem to put on a little extra speed as they get closer to home. She flew 280 km. (174 mi.) for the day, and roosted last night about 300 km. (186 mi.) northeast of La Serena.

Island Girl Continuing South

More of the same for Island Girl yesterday. She covered another 243 km. (151 mi.) on 14 November, and roosted overnight in the dry western part of the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 1025 meters (3362 feet) about 70 kilometers from the coast. She's now approaching 27 degrees south latitude and will be returning to her austral range at 35 degrees south (900 km / 550 mi still to go).

Island Girl Passes Antofagasta

Island Girl moved to higher country yesterday (13 Nov), flying 226 km. (140 mi.) through the Andes Mountains and passing Antofagasta. She roosted once again about 40 kilometers inland, this time at an elevation of 2109 meters (6918 feet).

Island Girl Moves Closer to Antofagasta

Island Girl travelled 202 km. (126 mi.) farther south toward Antofagasta yesterday, 12 Nov. As she has been doing recently, she remained (and roosted) in the hilly desert country adjacent to the coast, rather than near the beach. Her overnight roost last night was at an elevation of 1060 meters (3480 feet) about 5 kilometers inland.

Island Girl Nearing Antofagasta, Chile

Island Girl progressed farther south in Chile for a total distance of 153 km. (95 mi.) yesterday, 11 Nov, and roosted last night in the desert hills southeast of Iquique. Today she had flown an additional 190 km. (118 mi.) by late afternoon, apparently remaining a few kilometers from the coast, and was within 150 km. of Antofagasta (austral home of Sparrow King).

Island Girl Has Reached Chile

Island Girl crossed the border into Chile yesterday, and roosted 28 km. inland last night on a sandy plateau of the Atacama Desert at an elevation of approximately 1160 meters (3800 feet). She travelled 251 km. (156 mi.) for the day, and was about 77 km. south-southeast of Arica. She was already moving today by early morning, with her most recent signal showing her flying south at a speed of 40 kph (25 mph).

Island Girl Progressing Slowly Southward

Island Girl travelled another 140 km. (87 mi.) closer to Chile yesterday, and is remaining very close to the ocean. Her latest signal was about 40 km. north of Ilo, the last coastal town before reaching the Chilean border.

One of the frightening features about peregrines migrating through the Atacama is their tendency to roost out in the open on the desert floor. Horizontal ground. No protection. Lots of ground predators. Not a nice mix as we have seen in the past with Paco being caught and killed in the exact same situation.

Island Girl has been doing the same. She is not using the abundant coastal cliffs for sleeping. Makes me really nervous and one wonders how this behavior has survived in migrant peregrines. Perhaps there are not as many predators, like fox, in these harsh and spartan desert environments. But, on the other hand, if they are going to be anywhere in the Atacama, they could be expected to occur at the shoreline ecotone where more food would be available.

And it would be so easy to find a nice, vertical cliff for roosting.

On another subject, we just received word that the La Serena tundra falcon, named Dora, arrived back at her cathedral in the town of La Serena today. Thanks go to Manuel Enrique Rojas for this information. Gracias Manuel.

Island Girl Approaching Chile

As reported yesterday, Island Girl has now returned to the Pacific Coast. Her total travel distance yesterday was 144 km. (89 mi.), and she didn't move very far from yesterday evening's latest GPS signal before settling in to roost about 500 meters from the beach. Unless she takes a day of rest, she'll be in northern Chile within a day or two.

Island Girl Returns to the Coast

Island Girl flew 355 km. (221 mi.) on Saturday (11 Nov) and roosted last night in the Andean foothills about 40 km. inland. She continued travelling toward lower elevations this morning and afternoon, and her most recent signal shows her on the dry southern coast of Peru, about 50 meters from the water and due west of Arequipa. She is currently about 250 km north of the Chilean border and will next have to traverse the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

Island Girl in the High Andes

Island Girl flew 421 km. (262 mi.) yesterday, 06 November, through the heart of the Andes Mountains in Peru, and roosted last night at an elevation of 3662 meters (12013 feet). By midafternoon today she had continued through the Andes high country for another 300 km. (186 mi), and was still flying at the time of her most recent GPS signal at 2100Z.

Looks like she is trending back towards the Pacific coast. If so, at her present heading, she should get there tomorrow.

Since this is the first time that we are watching her move along her fall route, we are discovering exactly how she is going to do it. This really underscores the importance of looking at a number of different peregrines so we can define the range of their beahviors. Each one is unique and different in its approach but, as a group (Chilean tundra falcons) they still fall within the same general migration corridor, especially in South America.

Island Girl Progressing Through Peru

Island Girl travelled another 382 km. (244 mi.) through the Andes Mountains on Friday (05 Nov). She is currently about 200 km. north of Lima, Peru.

This is the first time that one of our tagged peregrines has moved up into the Andes on the SOUTHBOUND leg of the migration. It is not unusual to see this behavior in the spring but, to date, we've never documented it in the "fall".

We know that the area she is moving through is very high in elevation and contains lots of small lakes. Presumably there are good numbers of shorebirds up there to provide prey.

Pretty interesting jump.

Island Girl Continues Through Peru

Island Girl flew 315 km. (196 mi.) yesterday and roosted last night in the Andes at an elevation of 1770 meters (approx. 5800 feet). She was about 70 km. north of Trujillo, Peru.

Sparrow King Completes His Southern Migration

Sometime between Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon (04 Nov), Sparrow King completed the final 373 km. (232 mi.) of his southern migration and returned to Antofagasta, Chile, where he was first captured and tagged in February, 2006. He is now the first peregrine falcon for which we have observed and recorded the detailed migration tracks for three complete migration cycles (both northbound and southbound).

This season, he took 44 days to travel the entire route from his eyrie on Baffin Island to Antofagasta, Chile, a distance of 10,757 km (6,684 miles). He averaged about 244 km (152 miles) per day.

Island Girl in Peru

Island Girl has now crossed the border from Ecuador into Peru. She travelled 198 km. (123 mi.) on Tuesday, and roosted last night in the Andean foothills about 116 km. (72 mi.) from the Pacific Coast.

Island Girl Still in Ecuador

Island Girl flew south from Guayaquil, Ecuador for 134 km. (83 mi.) yesterday, and roosted about 10 km. inland from the extensive Gulf of Guayaquil. She is now approaching the Peruvian border.

Sparrow King in Chile

Sparrow King has flown 370 km. (230 mi.) in the past two days, and was last observed on the outskirts of the coastal town of Iquique, Chile, in the Atacama Desert. He'll be back on his austral range in just a few more days.

Island Girl Passes the Equator

Island Girl travelled another 218 km. (135 mi.) through Ecuador yesterday (01 Nov) and is now south of the Equator. She roosted last night about 25 km. northeast of the seaport of Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city.

Island Girl Moving Slowly Through Ecuador

Island Girl flew only 56 km. (35 mi.) to the southwest through the coastal lowlands of Ecuador yesterday, and is still about 40 km. from the coast (and approximately west of the capital city of Quito). The coast region ("Costa") of Ecuador actually extends fairly far inland, especially in the northern part of the country, and is divided into two separate geographical areas by a low-lying heavily forested coastal mountain range through which Island Girl is now passing.