| Killdeer
in Piney Woods year-round residents By
Jay V. Huner |
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The Killdeer calls its name almost every time it takes flight. Various folks will describe the call as "kill deer," "kill dee" or "kill deah". Flying Killdeer will often repeat "dee dee dee." The Killdeer is a plover and belongs to the category of birds called shorebirds which includes the sandpipers. Plovers and sandpipers are most commonly seen along sandy beaches and open marshy areas. These include the mudflats associated with drying ricefields and crawfish and fish ponds throughout the Gulf south. Killdeer are short, robin-sized birds with rich reddish brown backs and crowns. The neck, breast and belly are snow white and there are two prominent black bands on the neck. These double neck bands separate Killdeer from the other plovers that you might encounter when birding. The tail is elongated and, in flight, there is a reddish orange rump that is easy to see at close range or when viewing the birds in flight with binoculars. Look for red eye rings, a white "eyebrow", and a white patch in front of the eyes. Killdeer are graceful, speedy flyers. It is a pleasure to watch them fly individually, in pairs, or in flocks, both small and large. But, they are also fast runners. In fact, you are just as likely to see them darting here and there across piney woods meadows, pastures, and parking lots throughout the area as you are to see them in the air. Killdeer are year round residents of our region but their numbers swell every fall and into the spring when northern birds join resident birds for the winter. Flocks of hundreds are sometimes encountered in harvested cotton, corn, and soybean fields. Their brown backs blend readily into the dark ground, a form of protective coloration that helps them to avoid attacks by hawks and falcons. When frightened, they burst into the air and every bird seems to call at once, a cacophony of sound. Killdeer nest on bare ground. A Killdeer nest is usually a very simple depression in bare ground where several brown spotted eggs are laid and incubated. These nests can be found in large parking lots, especially gravel lots. They are most commonly located when you walk into an undisturbed area and are suddenly confronted by an apparently wounded Killdeer appearing near your feet. The bird will drag one of its wings and flutter ahead of you as if it has a broken wing. This behavior allows the bird to draw a predator away from the nest itself. The eggs look so much like the surrounding ground that it takes a really sharp eye to find the small cup-shaped nest with its precious contents. Ever walked across a beach or a parking lot from mid-spring into the summer with bare feet when you were a child? If so, you soon learned to wear shoes or sandals. Temperatures that toasted your feet will cook Killdeer eggs. Brooding Killdeer cover and protect their eggs with their bodies. But, if temperatures climb too high, they will visit water sources, soak their breast feathers with water, and hover over the eggs. The evaporating water creates a cooling effect and protects the developing embryos from overheating. Killdeer hatchlings hit the ground running and scurry after their parents across open ground. They quickly freeze and blend into the landscape when frightened. The small birds have only one black band across their chests and eager birders sometimes confuse them with their cousins, the Wilson's Plovers. Wilson's Plovers are much smaller than adult Killdeer which they resemble in color but have only one black neck band. Why would Killdeer nest in parking lots? Well, a parking lot looks pretty much like the beach habitat where the birds have been nesting for many years before humans invented parking lots. Fortunately, Killdeer seem to prefer quiet, unused areas of parking lots, especially gravel-covered parking lots, to well used areas. During spring and fall migration periods, you could encounter as many as six plovers in our region but none will have two black breast bands and make the "kill deah" call. Remember to avoid areas where Killdeer go into their broken wing acts as there is sure to be a nest or fledglings very near by. Jay V. Huner |
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