80 Killdeer

• A group of Killdeer are known as a; Season.
• Although these birds are shorebirds they are found far away from water in fields, meadows and pastures.  They are very adapt to agriculture and semi-urban areas.
• They nest right out in the open on the ground.  The eggs are camouflaged and hard to see.
• This is one of the birds remembered in my childhood.  My brothers and I would chase this bird to catch it.  It would appear to have a broken wing and would put up quite a fuss.  Its vocalization sounds like "My Baby" .  Later as we got older, smarter or just by chance we found out that this broken wing act meant it was leading us from the nest or from the young.  finding the nest or young was really cool. The eggs were speckled brown and could easily be stepped on if you weren't careful when looking.  The chicks were fluffy and fast, if you did catch them there was a chance that the parents would abandon them, so this was mostly a lets see what she's hiding search.

• See the four eggs right behind her.  This is from last year.  She is about to go into the broken wing act.

 

•  Here is a couple of chicks and one unhatched egg.  See how well both blend in.

• Here a parent goes into its broken wing display to lead danger away from the nest.
• They group together in the fall as a Season an d migrate south.