Banner Photo by Ann Kramer

Featured Bird

MEET THE KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus) – by Jeff Sinker

“kill deer, kill deer, kill deer” resonates across the agricultural field, horse or cow pasture, estuary or gravel parking lot and you realize the Killdeer lives up to its scientific name, which means “noisy plover”! This well-known and handsome plover is the only North American plover with two dark bands across the chest (although the downy youngsters have only one dark band). Killdeer don’t change much from winter to summer and both sexes look alike. Since the Killdeer is a medium-sized shorebird and large for a plover, it can be a handy “measuring stick” when you are trying to identify other shorebirds that are present. When consulting your field guide, ask yourself if the shorebird you are trying to identify is larger or smaller than the Killdeer and your answer can help to point you in the right direction.

Killdeer are famous for nesting pretty much out in the open where both animal and human foot traffic can imperil their nest. If a potential predator approaches the nest or young, the adult will attempt to lure the intruder away from the nest using the “broken wing” display where the bird moves away from the nest, appearing unable to fly. Only after the adult deems the coast to be clear will it fly back to the nest. Killdeer have been observed fluffing up their bodies and charging cows and horses who do not change direction!

Despite their familiarity with dry habitats, adult Killdeer are proficient swimmers in both still and swift-flowing water. Chicks can swim across small streams. The Killdeer’s diet is primarily invertebrates, such as earthworms, snails, crayfish, grasshoppers, beetles, and aquatic insect larvae. They also follow farmers' plows in hopes of retrieving any unearthed worms or insect larvae and will eat seeds left in agricultural lands.

Successful pairs can raise 1-3 broods in a season and the downy chicks leave the nest and follow their parents around as soon as their downy feathers are dry. Killdeer are one of the most successful shorebirds, possibly because of their affinity for human-modified habitats and nesting close to people. It is not unusual to come upon a Killdeer nest in a gravel parking lot, alongside a popular walking trail or in your horses’ favorite paddock. Even so, Killdeer are vulnerable to pesticide poisoning, vehicle and building collisions and loose dogs.

Learn more: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer

Photo credit: Killdeer by Brad Imhoff/Macaulay Library; www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer

Range Map: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer

Range Map : Purple (year-round); Orange (summer/breeding); Blue (winter/non-breeding)