Hello, sky friends! My name is Petra, and I’m a young pterodactyl with terracotta brown scales, amber-colored wings, and a light beige underbelly! I have a long, pointy beak that’s perfect for catching fish and a special curved crest on my head that helps me steer when I’m flying—it works just like a rudder on a boat!

When I spread my wings, they’re as wide as a small car! They’re made of special leathery skin that’s thin enough for sunlight to shine through, creating beautiful shadows on the ground below. If you look closely, you can see tiny veins running through them that help keep my wings strong and flexible.

I live on a high rocky cliff overlooking the ocean with my mother and the other pterodactyls in our flock. Every day, we soar through the sky, riding on warm air currents that rise up from the water. My mother says I’m perfectly built for flying—my bones are hollow just like a bird’s, which makes me lighter than I look!

But I have a confession to make: until recently, I was nervous about taking my first real flight! I would watch the other young pterodactyls practicing their flying skills—taking off like planes, soaring on wind currents, and diving into the ocean to catch fish. They made it look so easy, but my heart would beat super fast whenever I got close to the cliff edge.

My mother was so patient with me. She taught me everything I needed to know: how to use air currents to glide without flapping my wings, how to spot fish swimming near the ocean surface, how to fold my wings for diving, and how to land safely back on the cliffs.

Finally, I found my courage! I spread my wings, felt the wind rippling through my wing membranes, took a deep breath, and jumped… And I was FLYING! The wind caught my wings perfectly, just like my mother said it would. I tilted my head crest and turned smoothly through the air, seeing the whole world spread out beneath me.

Now my favorite thing is playing tag through the clouds with the other young pterodactyls and practicing our fishing skills together. I can’t believe I was ever scared of flying—it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world!

                                                                                        Soaring through the skies, Petra