Killdeer in Prairie Grass

The killdeer (charadrius vociferous) is America’s largest “ringed” plover and best-known shorebird. They are easy to spot with 2 black bands across the breast, a white forehead and red eyelids. It is also known as the Killdee from its shrill kill-dee, kill-dee calls. The killdeer lives in open country, generally plowed fields, golf courses, and short-grass prairies. They usually lay 4 buff colored eggs, spotted with blackish brown, in nests that are shallow depressions lined with grass on bare ground. When the eggs or babies are approached, the adult feigns injury, dragging its wings and hobbling along as if badly wounded. This broken wing act usually succeeds in luring a predator away from the nest. The bird then recovers and flies off noisily.