KILLDEER

Killdeer

 I took this photo the day of our recent trolley along the Mighty M.  It's a Killdeer, and doesn't it look like it's wearing a double strand black necklace?  

Killdeer are considered shore birds, and it just so happens that's where this photo was taken.  They can also be found nesting in places close to people, like golf courses, baseball fields and even children's playgrounds.  They've been known to follow tractors so they can eat the stirred-up insects.

The bird is named Killdeer because of its piercing shrill call, kill-dee.  During breeding season, killdeer performs a 'broken-wing act' or distraction if it spots a predator close by.  The parent will pretend to have a broken wing by dragging it along the ground, calling out loudly and limping.  When predators see the injured bird, they assume it's easy prey and will leave the nest undisturbed.  Pretty clever tactic.

Chick

The killdeer chicks are fluffy little beings (right).  They're able to run around and feed themselves within hours of hatching.  An Audubon article reads, "The dainty chicks appear like cotton balls atop two toothpicks--making them some of the most adorable chicks in the avian world."

They nest in gravel or open fields, because their eggs are camouflaged by their speckled appearance which blends in with the colors and textures of gravel and stones, protecting them from predators.  

Can you spot the eggs?