Killdeer
The Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a shorebird that is 9 to 10.5 inches in length. It has gray-brown upperparts, white underparts, and 2 black bands across the chest. It has a red eye-ring, pinkish legs and feet, a long, rounded tail with a black subterminal band and a white tip, and a bright rufous-orange rump.
The song of the Killdeer is a loud cry that sounds like kill-dee or kill-deer. It also has a long trilled trrrrr sound that it makes during display or when its young are threatened. When it believes that something is too close to its young or its nest, it leads intruders away from the nest with a "broken wing" display (illustrated left, above), rapid calls, the tail spread, and often limping to one side.
The Killdeer is considered abundant to common in the northernmost parts of its range.
Click here for a range map and additional information.
Click on the player below to hear Killdeer vocalizations.
The song of the Killdeer is a loud cry that sounds like kill-dee or kill-deer. It also has a long trilled trrrrr sound that it makes during display or when its young are threatened. When it believes that something is too close to its young or its nest, it leads intruders away from the nest with a "broken wing" display (illustrated left, above), rapid calls, the tail spread, and often limping to one side.
The Killdeer is considered abundant to common in the northernmost parts of its range.
Click here for a range map and additional information.
Click on the player below to hear Killdeer vocalizations.