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From Xplor: May/June 2019
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Take this quiz to find out which flock you’d rock if you were a bird. For each question, circle the letter next to the answer that best describes you.

1. Where’s your favorite place to go for dinner?

  • Any place with a salad bar suits me fine.
  • A grill would be great. Give me meat, meat, and more meat.
  • Seafood sounds swell — the fresher the better.
  • Forget dinner! Bring me dessert.
  • Let’s hit a buffet. I want a little of everything.

2. Describe your dream house.

  • Give me a one-story ranch and a wide-open yard.
  • Put me in a penthouse high above the city.
  • A waterfront bungalow would make a big splash for me.
  • I don’t need much space. A tiny house suits me fine.
  • As long as it’s a treehouse, I’ll live anywhere.

3. What’s your favorite Olympic sport?

  • Swimming.
  • Track.
  • Diving.
  • Fencing.
  • Forget the Olympics. I’d rather play hide-and-seek.
  • You’re in a band. What instrument do you play?
  • Trumpet.
  • Electric guitar.
  • Maracas.
  • I just hum.
  • I can play anything.
  • How would your friends describe you?
  • Loyal.
  • Well-traveled.
  • Daring.
  • Feisty.
  • Clever.
  • You’ve been bitten by the love bug. What’s the best way to win your heart?
  • Opposites don’t attract. I want someone who’s just like me.
  • Send me a snuggle buddy.
  • You’d better bring me a gift.
  • No one likes a show off — except for me.
  • A kiss is the only way to know if it’s true love.

Which letter did you circle most?

  • Canada geese nest on the ground where there’s grass to snack on and water to swim in. Geese call to their flocks with hornlike honks. Although they come in different sizes, each Canada goose picks a mate that’s about its same size. They stay loyal to their partners for the rest of their lives.
  • “Peregrine” means “wanderer,” and the well-named peregrine falcon nests atop cliffs and skyscrapers on every continent except Antarctica. During courtship, peregrine partners snuggle together and call to each other with a screeching kik, kik, kik. They are the fastest birds in the sky, reaching 200 mph when they dive to catch birds to eat.
  • Belted kingfishers burrow into stream banks to build their nests. To catch fish to eat, these daring birds dive beak-first into the water. Males bring females a fish and feed it to them during courtship. Their calls, which sound like a baby’s rattle or maraca, warn other kingfishers to stay away.
  • Ruby-throated hummingbirds drink sweet nectar from flowers and feeders. Their wings flap so fast, they make a buzzing hum during flight. These tiny but feisty birds chase each other away from nectar sources and fight with their swordlike beaks. To show off for females, males make looping, U-shaped flights. Females build a tiny nest that’s barely bigger than a thimble.
  • Clever blue jays make many sounds and can even imitate hawks to scare other birds away from a feeder. Jays eat a variety of foods, including insects, eggs, and seeds. They
  • hide acorns during fall and seek them out for snacks during winter. During spring, they nest in trees. Blue jay couples “kiss” by nibbling on each other’s beaks.

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This Issue's Staff

Bonnie Chasteen
Les Fortenberry
Karen Hudson
Angie Daly Morfeld
Noppadol Paothong
Marci Porter
Mark Raithel
Laura Scheuler
Matt Seek
David Stonner
Nichole LeClair Terrill
Stephanie Thurber
Cliff White