| Killdeer | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific Classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Charadrius vociferus |
The Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, is a medium-sized plover.
Adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead.
Their breeding habitat is open ground in fields or lawns across most of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, often quite far from water. They nest on the ground in an open area with a clear line of sight.
They are migratory in northern areas and winter as far south as northern South America. They are rare vagrants to western Europe, usually late in the year.
These birds forage for food in fields, usually by sight. They mainly eat insects.
Their name comes from their call, frequently heard. These birds will frequently use the "broken wing act" to distract predators from their nests. Their ability to exploit a wide range of semi-urban habitat has helped keep them common and widespread in their range.