The Kinderchicklets want me to share that they were very excited to have the opportunity to see a real live Peregrine Falcon and an American Kestral from the Prairie Wildlife Rehab Centre. Jennifer, from the PWRC came to our school today with Camira, a 7 yr. old female Peregrine Falcon who only had 1 wing. The other wing had been broken in many places so had to be amputated.
The 'chicklets said that it made them think of Terry Fox, who had one of his legs amputated.
They didn't think it could be very much fun for Camira to have a wing amputated because now she can't fly anymore but they were very happy when Jennifer told them that Camira has a very nice outdoor enclosure to live in, with a variety of different perches, so that she can hop up high, where peregrine falcons like to be. They were also glad to hear that Jennifer and the other people who work with Camira give her birds to eat every day since she can no longer fly around and catch her own food, like Princess and Ivy.
A really interesting thing that Jennifer told the'chicklets and something that their teacher did not know is that when peregrine falcons are diving down to catch their prey, this is called "stooping" and when they do this, while flying very, very fast, some tiny little flaps inside their nostrils close. This made the 'chicklets think about when they are swimming and want to go under the water, they have to plug their noses so the water doesn't go up their noses. So now they want me to ask you...
"Why do these little flaps inside their nostrils close? Does this mean they are holding their breath? And if so, why do they need to do this?" 
Jennifer also brought a beautiful male American Kestral named Calen so that the Kinderchicklets could see another type of falcon. They found it interesting to hear that unlike peregrine falcons, Kestrals eat mice and voles and grasshoppers. The sad thing about Calen was not that he had been injured but that someone had captured him when he was little and had kept him for a pet for awhile so now he cannot live in the wild anymore because he wouldn't know how to look after himself. They learned a new word today, "imprinted" and have learned that it is not a good idea for anyone to try to capture and raise a wild bird or animal. So now if they see a wild baby bunny outside all alone, the 'chicklets will tell their own mommies and daddies not to pick it up but that they should leave it alone because the bunny's mommy will very likely be somewhere close by.
