Two Turtle Doves Trivia Quiz

Answer: They were named for their call.

The name "turtledove" has nothing to do with turtles. The turtle dove's call sounds like "turr turr." In Latin the name was turtur. Then in Old English, the name became "turtel." Now we call them turtle doves.

Answer: False

There are 17 known turtle dove species. One thing these species have in common is that they are all ground feeders, eating seeds. The turtle dove is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Answer: Love

Turtledoves are specifically a symbol of devoted or faithful love. This stems from the belief that turtledoves form strong pair bonds. When one turtledove mate dies, the surviving mate shows signs of grieving.

Answer: smaller

The turtledove is smaller than the collared dove and slightly bigger than the blackbird. Turtledoves are easy to recognize by their black and brown wings, black tail, light-colored breast, and black-and-white striped necks.

Answer: Africa

Turtledoves usually mate and breed in Europe or Asia. However, when they migrate in the winter, they fly to Africa in the sub-Saharan region of the continent. This means they fly thousands of miles twice a year, once to migrate and once to return home.

Answer: True

Both male and female turtledoves can produce crop milk to feed the hatchlings. It is produced in the upper digestive tract and is packed with protein. To obtain the food, the hatchling reaches into the adult bird's beak and takes the milk out of the throat.

Answer: Suction

Turtledoves will submerge their beaks into the water and suck to get a drink. This is much like the way a human uses a straw to suck the liquid out of a cup. They drink at least once or twice a day from shallow puddles.

Answer: It acts like a millstone.

Since turtledoves don't have teeth, they can't bite into seeds. Swallowing small bits of gravel helps them digest food. The gravel goes into the gizzard and acts like a millstone, grinding up the seeds.

Answer: Performing acrobatics

When a male wants to mate, he does a type of acrobatics in the air. He glides in the air, keeping his head low. He flies in an arc, sometimes with a mating call. He then lands by her and does a macho head bob. He then makes a nest and brings her a twig to see if she approves. If the female approves, she lets him know by preening his feathers or doing the equivalent of a bird kiss.

Answer: Explosive takeoff

When a turtledove is being hunted, it can take off into the air like a rocket being launched. Their breast muscles, which are very powerful, allow them to do this. As they are going up, they clap their wings loudly, sounding like an explosion. This has a two-fold purpose: to scare away the predator and warn other turtledoves that there is a threat.