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Killdeer

Charadrius vociferusOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Plovers (Charadriidae)

Killdeer Portrait
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General

Killdeer: Large banded plover with brown upperparts and white underparts, and two distinct black bands cross the upper breast. White stripes on wings are visible in flight. Tail and rump show rust-brown in flight. Sexes are similar. Juvenile has single breast band.

Range and Habitat

Killdeer: Breeds from Alaska east to Newfoundland and southward. Spends winters north to British Columbia, Utah, the Ohio Valley, and Massachusetts; also found in South America. Preferred habitats include open areas such as plowed fields, golf courses, and short-grass prairies.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kill-dee", "kill-deear", "kill-deeah-dee-dee"

Interesting Facts

  • Killdeer exhibit a clever "broken wing display" in which they appear to be struggling with a broken wing while leading the predator away from their babies.
  • Although technically shorebirds, they are unusual in this group because they often nest and live far from water.
  • They are ground-nesting birds that are famous for hiding their nests right out in the open. They really use no nesting materials and rely on distraction displays to protect their offspring.
  • A group of killdeers are collectively known as a "season" of killdeers.


Author

Gary Owen Dick

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Range Map for Killdeer
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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.
Family
Species Charadrius vociferus
Length9 - 10.5 Inches
Wingspan20 Inches

Killdeer

Killdeer: Large banded plover, brown upperparts and white underparts, two distinct black bands cross upper breast. White stripes on wings are visible in flight. Tail and rump show rust-brown in flight. Black bill, pink-brown legs and feet. Wavering, erratic flight, capable of swift, direct flight.

● Song: "kill-dee", "kill-deear", "kill-deeah-dee-dee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Killdeer: Diet consists of various aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, mostly insects; also eats berries; forages on the ground.

● Breeding & nesting: Killdeer: Three to five buff eggs with brown markings are laid in a shallow ground depression lined with grass, often in gravelly areas. Incubation ranges from 24 to 28 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Killdeer: Semipalmated Plover is smaller and has a single breast band. Wilson's Plover is smaller, has a single breast band, and plain brown back, rump, and tail.

Flight Pattern

Flies in erratic wavering manner.
Killdeer Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Killdeer: Breeds from Alaska east to Newfoundland and southward. Spends winters north to British Columbia, Utah, the Ohio Valley, and Massachusetts; also found in South America. Preferred habitats include open areas such as plowed fields, golf courses, and short-grass prairies.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationCommon to abundant
MigrationMigratory
Weight3.2 Ounces