Killdeer

How many deer would a Killdeer kill if a Killdeer could kill deer? Killdeer are named for their high, peep-y call that supposedly sounds like their name. They are, however, not known to hunt large mammals. Like other shorebirds, Killdeer eat mainly small invertebrates they dig out of the ground. They blend in to their environment surprisingly well, considering their bold stripes; they catch your eye only when they move.

Killdeer are a common bird anywhere along the coastline, or in fields, parking lots, and lawns all across the continent. Killdeer parents make nests on the ground in shallow scrapes, pretty much anywhere with rocks or gravel—even on gravel rooftops! Baby killdeer have survived a 7-storey drop to the ground. You may never have heard of the Oscar category for non-human actors, but the Killdeer are regular winners for their performances as “poor injured birds” that lure predators away from their nests.

I saw this one with two of his friends near the white rock in White Rock, on March 12.