The Man Who Flies With Birds (Israel)
Grade 4–8—At age 25, as a young biologist with the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, Leshem knew that he wanted to become a raptor expert. When he earned his Ph.D. in ornithology, he decided to study the dangers that the 35 species of raptors that travel through Israel encounter during migration. He approached the Israeli Air Force, promising that, with sufficient funding, he could map the migration routes of large birds and provide up-to-the minute reports of where they were flying, thereby eliminating some of the thousands of bird strikes suffered by Air Force planes—some of them worth as much as five million dollars. The study of birds' migration; their detection of the Earth's magnetic fields; their use of thermals to save energy; and the physics of flying involved hundreds of people in 17 countries and a network of observation stations, radar, and aircraft. The information helped the Israeli Air Force to drastically lower the number of bird strikes, saving lives and aircraft. Leshem's fascinating life, his undaunted determination to spread awareness of birds and wildlife protection, and his amazing accomplishments are a clear indication that anything is possible. The book is heavily illustrated with good-quality color photos, maps, and diagrams, many of them captioned with incredible facts about wildlife and migration. This inspiring title on a most timely topic will appeal to those who are fascinated with wildlife, Earth science, and technology.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.