Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Despite being classified as shorebirds, Killdeer are often found miles from the nearest body of water, nesting in dry, gravelly areas.
- Scientific name
- Charadrius vociferus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Charadriiformes › Charadriidae › Charadrius
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open fields, short-grass prairies, pastures, gravel rooftops, and parking lots.
- Diet
- Primarily insectivorous, feeding on beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and occasionally earthworms.
- Range
- North America, Central America, Northern South America
- Size
- 20-28 cm long, wingspan of 46-48 cm.
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Pesticide use on lawns and fields, habitat loss to development, and mortality from outdoor cats and vehicles.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but highly defensive of its nest. If the bird displays a 'broken wing,' it is trying to lure you away from its eggs. Back away slowly and watch your step, as their eggs are perfectly camouflaged to look like stones or gravel.
The killdeer ( Charadrius vociferus ) is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae . Three subspecies are described. The killdeer's common name comes from its often-heard call. Its upperparts are mostly brown with rufous fringes, the head has patches of white and black, and two black bands cross the breast. The belly and the rest of...
Photo: Eugene Zelenko, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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