Birds of Quinta Mazatlan - Killdeer
Spanish Name:
Playero sabanero |
Scientific Name:
Charadrius vociferous |
Size: 10 1/2"
Killdeer are fun birds in the shorebird family (although not only found near lakes, ponds, and beaches). The double stripe on their breast helps make them more difficult for predators to see, as it breaks up the pattern of their body.
Song
Makes various plaintive whistles and trills, sometimes can be made out to saying its name killdeer.
Behavior
Killdeer mostly eat insects and other invertebrates, such as snails, crayfish, grasshoppers, and insect larvae. They forage on the ground, running and walking with abrupt halts to capture a prey item.
Nesting
These birds make their nests by just making a scratch in the ground in which to lay their eggs. Good luck finding one, however, as the eggs are very well camouflaged! Also, the parent Killdeer will lead you off track, sometimes pretending to settle down onto a fake nest in order to lead you away from the real nest.
Habitat
The range of the Killdeer covers the entirety of the United States, and so you can imagine the habitat would therefore be quite varied. Killdeer can be found on coastal shores, meadows, sports fields (golf courses, football, soccer, and baseball fields), in parking lots, and even driveways.
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