A Chicken?

The other day during kindergarten reading class, one of the students who was looking out the window calmly said, "Teacher...there's a chicken on the basketball hoop."  I had to laugh and take a look, but I didn't see a chicken.  He said, "Its right there!"  It was on the basketball court, rather than the hoop, but it wasn't a chicken.  It was a Eurasian Collared-Dove and it was walking around bobbing its head back and forth like a chicken does.  I had to smile.  They say the cutest things!  Little do they know, that it won't be long and they will know that bird and many others!

A Eurasian Collared-Dove in my yard

Eurasian Collared-Doves are larger, and lighter gray than a Mourning Dove.  They have a black stripe on their neck - the "collar".  Their broad tail is square at the tip and the Mourning Dove has a pointed tail.  About ten years ago we did not have many of them here in our town, but they were an introduced species to the Bahamas and then they made it to Florida.  After that they spread across America.  We have many of them in our town,  Read more at this site:  All About Birds. 

This will be the first of many bird lessons that I will be sharing with you.  As a teacher and an avid birder, I feel like informing you about birds is something you might enjoy.  Besides...you willl want to keep up with your kindergartener!