The Killdeer
- M B
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Early spring brings the killdeer with its loud, unique kill-dee sound, from which it gets its name from. A common bird, especially in the Midwest and eastern states of the US, you will likely hear the bird first, with its unmistakable signature kill-dee sound.
Flying low over freshly plowed fields and green pastures, the killdeer is a strong flyer, as is typical with most plovers. Although a part of the plover family, killdeer prefer to live inland and can be found in any open country habitat.
Searching for a nesting site on the bare earth, killdeer make their nests in a slight depression in the dirt, usually picking a plowed field or even dirt driveways! Killdeer lay 3-5 eggs, and incubation is around 24-28 days.
The young only have one black band, instead of the two that their parents have. Within a couple of hours the young are out of their nest and running around on their toothpick like legs. These little puffballs quickly learn how to find insects in the dirt and how to freeze when danger lurks nearby.
Killdeer are incredibly adept at disappearing in plain sight, especially their young. If danger gets too close, the killdeer has an impressive act that can fool any predator. It will fan one wing out and drag it along the ground in front of a predator and pretend to have a broken wing. In this way, it will trick the predator(hopefully) to chase it, instead of the young.
Once the killdeer has the predator’s attention with its helpless act, it will start to move away from the young in the hopes of luring the predator away. Of course, any predator will find it difficult to resist such an easy meal and focus on the helpless-looking bird. Once far enough away, the killdeer will suddenly fly off, leaving the stunned predator contemplating its life choices.
If you have ever witnessed a killdeer pulling this ‘broken wing’ act, you know how impressive the acting is. What a great display of nature’s ingenuity!
Bird tip: If you have never seen young killdeer, it should be on your bucket list, They are one of the cutest little creatures you may ever see.
Learn more about the killdeer at Audubon.org
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