Extreme Birdwatching: Measuring Change on a Galápagos Island

A treasure trove for science classrooms, citizen scientists, and budding biologists, this "you-are-there" account of a landmark study of wild finches going about their finch-y business captures the scientific process in action.

Daphne is an island. Not one you'd choose for a vacation. There are no sandy beaches, resorts, hotels, or houses. No tall trees to make shade. The steep, rocky sides of a volcanic Galápagos island are not inviting, and most who visit this part of the world sail right past. But Peter and Rosemary Grant are not most people. A husband-and-wife team, the Grants came to this singular place with a singular goal: to study two species of wild finch. For decades, the scientists and their students counted, cataloged, and observed finches on a remote mile-wide island. Through teamwork, painstaking observation--extreme bird-watching, extreme plant study, extreme seed counting--and careful beak measurements, the group of committed scientists proved step-by-step, over forty years, how finch beaks change in response to their environment. Weaving accessible biology and the scientific process into an inspiring conversational narrative, this second title in the Discovery Chronicles series--packed with resources and back matter--concretely honors the value of hard journeys, the vision and ambition behind tedious tasks, and the astonishing power of curiosity.

Author: Loree Burns
Publisher: Mit Kids Press
Published: 03/03/2026
Pages: 64
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.50h x 6.00w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781536232806
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
School Library Journal 02/01/2026 pg. 68
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 01/01/2026
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2026

About the Author
Loree Griffin Burns is a biologist and the author of many acclaimed nonfiction books for children, including the debut title in the Discovery Chronicles, One Long Line, also illustrated by Jamie Green, as well as Honeybee Rescue: A Backyard Drama, illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz, and Life on Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island. Her books have won numerous accolades, including American Library Association Notable designations, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, an International Reading Association Children's Book Award, a Green Earth Book Award, and two AAAS/Subaru Prizes for Excellence in Science Books. She lives in upstate New York, where she writes, teaches, and studies her insect neighbors.

Jamie Green is the illustrator of multiple books for young readers, including One Long Line by Loree Griffin Burns and Mushroom Rain by Laura K. Zimmerman, and was named the Society of Illustrators Zankel Scholar in 2019. Their work explores the natural world, along with themes of human connection, travel, history, and movement. Jamie Green lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and can often be found either in the corner of a café or on trails in the Blue Ridge Mountains.