Mourning dove

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mourning-dove

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Zenaida macroura
2. What is the conservation status?Least Concern, reflecting its large population and extensive range
3. What does a Mourning Dove sound like?It has a soft cooing call and a special whistling noise made by its wings when it flies.
4. Why does a Mourning Dove make a whistling sound when it flies?The whistling comes from its flight feathers moving fast, and it might help the dove talk to other doves or warn predators.

Altricial Young: Newly hatched birds that are underdeveloped, blind, and helpless, requiring extensive parental care.
Granivorous: An organism that feeds on seeds.
Sonation: The production of sound through non-vocal means, such as the wing movements of a bird.
Crop Milk: A nutrient-rich secretion produced by the crop of some birds, fed to their young.