Wildlife Watching Wednesday: The Very Tricky Killdeer

By: Tom Berg

Most birds do a great job of raising their young and keeping them safe from predators, but one bird species in particular uses an ingenious trick to keep people and predators away from its nest. That bird is the common Killdeer. When someone or something is getting too close to the nest of a killdeer, this clever bird pretends it has a broken wing and promptly leads the offender away.

Killdeer are part of the plover family of birds, which means they are a shorebird. Strangely enough, they are often found far from water. Killdeer are about the size of an American robin, although they have longer stilt-like legs than a robin. They are mostly brown on their back with a white belly. Their head is a combination of brown, black and white stripes, and their large black eye is highlighted by a bright red eye ring.

Killdeer make their nest right on the ground, often in rocky or gravel-strewn areas. Gravel parking lots and the sides of gravel roads are common nesting sites for these birds, even though they are not the safest places to raise a family. The nest itself is actually just a shallow depression in the gravel. Most nests contain 4-6 eggs, and when the chicks hatch they already have a thick coat of downy feathers.

As mentioned, the killdeer is a master at tricking people and predators to follow it away from their nest. The killdeer begins the charade by squawking very loudly, and then dragging one wing on the ground as if it’s broken as the bird shuffles away. This is a great tactic against predators like foxes, for example, because a fox will see the injured bird as easy prey and chase after it. Once the killdeer leads the fox far enough away, it flies off and then sneaks back to its nest.

Although killdeer are strong fliers, they are often seen walking and running along the ground. If you get too close, they will fly a short distance away and then start walking again. If they try the “broken wing” routine, you will know a nest is nearby, so leave them in peace! 

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