Page 3 - Kind News, Jr. Teacher Guide
P. 3

DO ACTIVITIES
                                                ANSWER KEY                      ONLINE AT
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            Pet Corner Matching answers FROM PAGE 2
    opposite page (left to right): gayleenfroese2/pixabay; inspiredimages/pixabay; artush/bigstock. this page, from top: (pet corner, first column) ygolub/bigstock; masarik/bigstock;

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      hannah kraus; redrover; (second column) marina jay/bigstock; life on white/bigstock; cynoclub/bigstock; lightspruch/bigstock; (critter clues) cew/bigstock. raja: bryan huff.
































            Critter Clues  FROM PAGE 7

            Our mystery critter is the mourning dove. It is one of the most
            common birds in North America. Most people recognize the distinct call
            the bird makes, from which it gets its name.
               Instead of being negatively affected by the presence of humans,
            mourning dove populations have actually increased in North America as
            it has become more settled. The bird is found most often in the suburbs
            or agricultural areas and usually avoids dense forests.
               Seeds make up 99% of the mourning dove’s diet. When birds pick up
            seeds, they may store them to digest later instead of eating them right away.
            The seeds are stored in their “crop,” an enlarged part of their esophagus.
               Mourning doves often mate for life, although sometimes pair up just for the
            mating season. People have even reported witnessing doves grieving the death of
            their mates! Parent mourning doves work hard together to take care of their babies.
            The male and the female both produce liquid, sometimes called “crop milk,” to feed their young.
               Although the mourning dove population is not declining, they are the most hunted bird on the continent.
            They are at risk from dying from lead poisoning. Since they forage
            on the ground, they sometimes pick up lead shotgun pellets and
            can ingest large quantities.
               How can we help mourning doves? Consider helping your child             Where’s Raja?
            or students build a nesting basket for a mated pair, and encourage             Raja is hiding
            them to put out feeders for them. For instructions on constructing              on page 7!
            a nest box, visit sciencing.com (search “mourning dove nest box”).
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