Youngsters
get to know the young hero and the adventures
that carry him toward manhood. As they come to know Jeremiah as a friend who would
understand their own growing pains, they look forward to each book in the
series.
Teachers
will Achieve..
Teachers will appreciate the ways
that Jeremiah Stokely novels, kits, and activities make literature
meaningful to children. Teachers can download free classroom idea
packets to hold a hand-on workshop based on each book.
Click the >Play button
to listen to the bird's song!
Mourning Dove (Zenaida
macroura)
Length 10½-12 in., wingspan 18 in., Family Columbidae
The Mourning Dove gets its name from its mournful, sad
call. It can be heard softly “cooing” in open fields, parks, and lawns. Its
colors are as soft as its call, gray and beige. Its long pointed tail is
bordered in white. A few black spots mark the buff wings. It is a slender
bird with a graceful neck and black eye. When it walks, it seems to float
along the ground. It is impossible to tell the male and female apart.
It is abundant in rural areas all over the U.S. During
winter, it will come to feeders if they are substantial enough to hold the
weight of this big bird. Flat “tray” feeders are ideal. It prefers to feed
on the ground or on flat rocks or logs, feeding almost entirely on seeds.
Morning Doves are believed to mate for life. Their
nest of sticks is placed in a low bush or a tall tree, sometimes even on the
ground. Two white eggs are laid. When they hatch, the young are fed
regurgitated, partially digested food known as “pigeon milk” from the
parent’s beak.
Doves are related to pigeons. Except for paler colors
and slightly smaller size, they look a lot like them. The common city pigeon
that is often considered a nuisance is really the Rock Dove.
The
dove has been a symbol of peace for thousands of years. In the Old
Testament, a dove sent out to seek dry land brought an olive branch back to
Noah on the ark. It is also a symbol of love; Napoleon’s nephew Charles
named the American Mourning Dove “zenaida” after his wife Zenaide. In
some states the Mourning Dove is hunted as a game bird. In others, it is
protected as a “songbird.”
