When you think of a shorebird, you think of the beach or a tidal area. But our most common shorebird is more likely to be found on ballfields, golf courses and even shopping malls. The Killdeer is a medium sized plover (wading birds of the family Charadriidae), about 10 inches long with a wingspan up to 24 inches. Often the first indication that a killdeer is nearby is its very distinct call which is a high-pitched: "dee, deeyee, tyeeee, deew, tewdew". They are usually found alone or sometimes in pairs. When killdeer have chicks nearby, they will often try to lead a predator (or unsuspecting human) away from the nest by pretending to have a broken wing. Such behavior is common in ground nesting birds.
The definition of the killdeer's scientific name says a great deal about this bird: "Charadrius vociferus: American plover of inland waters and fields having a distinctive cry."
Some neat Killdeer facts:
They eat mostly insects.
They lay their eggs (usually 4) on the bare, rocky ground.
Females are bigger than males (this is common in birds mostly because the females have to produce those large eggs).
They can live up to 10 years.
Their unusual name comes from their piercing call "kill-dee(r)".
The Killdeer call acts as a warning to other birds and animals.
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When you think of a shorebird, you think of the beach or a tidal area. But our most common shorebird is more likely to be found on ballfields, golf courses and even shopping malls. The Killdeer is a medium sized plover (wading birds of the family Charadriidae), about 10 inches long with a wingspan up to 24 inches. Often the first indication that a killdeer is nearby is its very distinct call which is a high-pitched: "dee, deeyee, tyeeee, deew, tewdew". They are usually found alone or sometimes in pairs. When killdeer have chicks nearby, they will often try to lead a predator (or unsuspecting human) away from the nest by pretending to have a broken wing. Such behavior is common in ground nesting birds.
The definition of the killdeer's scientific name says a great deal about this bird: "Charadrius vociferus: American plover of inland waters and fields having a distinctive cry."
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