Killdeer

A shorebird that you can see without going to the beach, Killdeer are plovers commonly found locally on lawns, golf courses, athletic fields or parking lots. The tawny colored birds have the characteristic large round head, large eyes and short bill of all plovers. They are slender and lanky with long pointed tails and long wings.

Killdeer in its urban habitat

Killdeer are brownish tan on the top and white below. The white chest is barred with two black bands, and the brown face is marked with black and white patches. The bright orange rump is conspicuous in flight.

Typically you can see these birds running across the ground in spurts, quickly stopping to check their progress or to see if they startled any insect prey. Near the shore, they inhabit open areas such as sandbars, mud flats and grazed fields.

Killdeer feed primarily on invertebrates such as earthworms, snails, crayfish, grasshoppers, beetles and aquatic insect larvae. They also follow farmer's plows looking for unearthed worms or insect larvae.

Killdeer nest; note the speckled eggs

The nest of the Killdeer is a shallow depression scratched into the bare ground. In the photo to the right, if you look carefully, there are two speckled eggs seen under the bird; also notice how plain the nest is. After the eggs are laid, Killdeer will add rocks, bits of shell, sticks and trash to the nest for camouflage.

Killdeer distract predators by running away, calling loudly and bobbing up and down. They are one of the best practitioners of the "broken-wing display," an attempt to lure predators away from the nest by feigning injury. After the predator follows the adult  bird away from the nest, the adult then flies off. This broken-wing display does not prevent cows or horses from stepping on eggs. In cases like these, the Killdeer fluffs itself up, displaying its tail over its head and charging the beast in an attempt to get it to change its path.

Killdeer's "broken-wing act"

Typical brood is four to six eggs which are incubated for 22 to 28 days. Chicks can walk as soon as their feathers dry.

Killdeer get their name from the shrill, wailing kill-deer call. Eighteen-century naturalists used to call them "Chattering Plovers" or "Noisy Plovers."