Max's Grand Adventure: Heading South Max Gets Hatched Nestled among the sedges of the tundra and deep within the grasses around the ponds and rivers of the Arctic Refuge are the nests of migratory birds. Large birds, such as the magnificent Tundra swan; fierce hunting birds, such as the Arctic Peregrine Falcon; and birds smaller than a fist, such as the Savannah Sparrow. Millions of migratory birds use this area to nest and raise their young, or to feed before beginning their long fall journeys to warmer places. About 130 different kinds of birds use the Arctic coastal plain, and many of them migrate through the United States, connecting the remote and spectacular Arctic Refuge right to our own backyards. Here, in a lichen-lined nest scraped into the earth, Max hatches, just one week after the fourth of July. Max is an American Golden-Plover. Although he weighs less than a handful of grapes, Max is ready to leave the nest as soon as his downy feathers dry. Accompanied by his parents and his three siblings, Max darts about in search of food on the bountiful Arctic coastal plain. Golden-Plovers such as Max eat snails and other large insects. Max also dines on berries and some seeds when he can find them. This land of the midnight sun has long, warm days, giving Max and other arctic birds and wildlife ample time to look for food. But Max must take care not to become a meal himself. Previous Page  |  Next Page Back to "Max's Grand Adventure" Index All About Max  |  Max's Grand Adventure From Alaska to our Backyards  |  Amazing Arctic Birds  |  Links