▁touch ing ▁upon ▁the ▁recovery ▁of ▁the ▁per egr ine ▁fal con . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁children ' s ▁magazine ▁Cr icket ▁published ▁a ▁short ▁story ▁written ▁by ▁Hou le ▁titled ▁" Al bert ", ▁adapted ▁from ▁W ings ▁for ▁My ▁Fl ight . ▁Re ception ▁to ▁W ings ▁for ▁My ▁Fl ight ▁has ▁generally ▁been ▁positive . ▁The ▁book ▁co - rece ived ▁the ▁Oregon ▁Book ▁Award ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁received ▁a ▁Christopher ▁Award ▁for ▁books ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Mar cy ▁C ott rell ▁Hou le ▁wrote ▁W ings ▁for ▁My ▁Fl ight ▁in ▁the ▁dec ades ▁following ▁a ▁major ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁per egr ine ▁fal con ▁population , ▁which ▁occurred ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁bre eding ▁pairs ▁of ▁per egr ine ▁fal cons ▁inhab ited ▁the ▁western ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Mexico , ▁couple d ▁with ▁ 5 0 0 ▁pairs ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁U . S . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁no ▁per egr ine ▁fal cons ▁were ▁discovered ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Rock y ▁Mountains , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁west , ▁per egr ine ▁fal con ▁populations ▁had ▁decl ined ▁by ▁ 8 0 ▁to ▁ 9 0 ▁percent . ▁By ▁ 1 9 7