The book is intended for a general audience and contains 13 chapters describing the phenomena of migration in North America and original research that has been done on each of the example systems. Following two introductory chapters on the scope, evolution, physiology, and behavior involved in bird migration (by Able), there follow chapters on migration across the Gulf of Mexico (Sidney Gauthreaux), stopover ecology on the northern Gulf Coast (Frank Moore), autumn migration of the blackpoll warbler (James Baird), broad-winged hawk migration (Keith Bildstein), sandhill cranes and the Platte River (Gary Krapu), the migration of the white-rumped sandpiper (Brian Harrington), dunlins and western sandpipers on the Copper River Delta (Stanley Senner), the rufous hummingbird in Rocky Mountain meadows. An Epilogue (Able) discusses the conservation of birds on migration. Twenty-four pages of color photographs plus black and white photos, figures and maps (by Cindy Lippincott).