contents MEET THE FAMILY Spectacled Flying Foxes of Halmahera Island LIFE BEGINS Featured Family Welcome to the World First Meal EARLY ADVENTURES Featured Family Look Who’s Flying Give It a Try 4 7 8 10 13 14 16 LIFE LESSONS Featured Family This Is How It’s Done Practice Makes Perfect BAT SPOTTING Family Album Snapshots Words to Know Learn More Index 19 20 22 25 28 30 31 32
MEET THE FAMILY SPECTACLED FLYING FOXES of Halmahera Island More than 17,000 islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans make up the Republic of Indonesia The rainforests of one of these islands Halmahera Halmahera are home to the goliath coucal and the endangered chattering chattering lory These birds are found nowhere else on Earth In the island’s swamps green swallowtails feed on the nectar of guava blossoms while flightless invisible rails pluck insects from fallen fruit It is a late October evening and a pleasant 78 F 25 6 C The rainy season has come to an end and cooler air will be moving down from the north More than 150 feet 45 7 m above the forest floor about 20 spectacled flying foxes hang from the branches of a tree known locally locally as damar mesegar One of the bats begins to stir The moment she has been anticipating for six months has finally arrived She is about to give birth to a baby
