What is a Killdeer?

Killdeer are a species of plover which can be found abundantly throughout the Americas. These birds are famous for their piercing “dee dee dee” cry, and thanks to their adaptability, they can be found in a wide range of habitats and locations, from remote shorelines to parking lots. Many people enjoy watching killdeer, because these birds have a characteristic mode of movement which some people find amusing to observe.

Like other plovers, killdeer are small, with compact, muscular bodies, long legs designed for wading, heavy chests marked with two black bars, short tails, and stubby beaks. They feed on insects, grubs, worms, and an assortment of small invertebrates, seeking their prey by sight. As a result, the birds move in a jerking fashion, bobbing their heads as they look for food. A flock of killdeer can look quite preposterous, with the tiny birds jerking and bobbing across a wide stretch of land, and small squabbles erupting as delicacies are discovered.

These wading birds prefer moist environments like marshes, streams, seashores, and the shores of lakes and rivers, but they can thrive in other locations, as well. They are among the most adaptable of the plovers, often doing very well in heavily modified environments, and living peaceably with human populations. This can actually be dangerous for the birds, since killdeer are at risk of collisions with cars and poisoning from various chemicals which are often abundant around human settlements.

Killdeer are serially monogamous, picking new mates each year and building nests on the ground in shallow scrapes. They typically lay four eggs, and their young are precocial, meaning that they spend more time in the egg so that they are mobile as soon as they hatch. As soon as baby killdeer dry off after their emergence from the egg, they can bob and weave behind their parents, learning how to hunt for food to eat.

The killdeer's formal name is Charadrius vociferus, a reference to the piercing cry of the birds. In addition to being known for their cry, killdeer are also famous for mimicking a broken wing to distract predators and other threats to their nests. For this reason, if you see a killdeer which appears to have a broken wing, you shouldn't be too concerned, as there is a very good chance that the bird is faking it to lead you away from its nest.

A Killdeer is a medium-sized plover, a type of shorebird known for its distinctive call that sounds like "kill-deer." Native to North America, these birds are adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats, including fields, lawns, and parking lots, as well as near water bodies. They are widespread across the continent, from Canada to Venezuela.

The Killdeer is famous for its "broken-wing" act, where it feigns injury to lure predators away from its nest. This ground-nesting bird cleverly drags one wing on the ground to appear vulnerable, drawing the threat away before flying off unharmed. This behavior is a remarkable adaptation to protect their offspring.

Killdeer primarily feed on insects, making them beneficial for controlling pest populations. They forage for food by using a method called "the run-and-stop technique," where they run a few steps, pause to look, and then peck at the ground. Their diet includes beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and other invertebrates found in their habitat.

Killdeer are easily identifiable by their bold pattern of two black bands across their white chests, a brown back, and a white belly. They have a long, slender bill and a red eye-ring. Their call, which resembles their name, is a loud, piercing "kill-deer" that is often heard before the bird is seen.

Killdeer typically breed between April and August. They are monogamous during the breeding season and lay a clutch of 4-6 eggs in a simple ground scrape. Both parents share incubation duties for about 24-28 days. Remarkably, Killdeer chicks are precocial, meaning they can walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching.

According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Killdeer populations have experienced a slight decline over the past 50 years, but they are not currently considered threatened or endangered. Habitat loss and changes in agricultural practices may impact their numbers, but their adaptability to human-altered landscapes helps maintain their resilience.