Killdeer is a well-known plover (shore bird) that ranges from southern Canada to South America. Its loud, shrill cry seems to say kill-deer. The bird is about 10 inches (25 centimeters) long, with a grayish-brown back and a white breast marked with two black bands. Killdeers build their nests in shallow depressions in fields. The female usually lays four black-spotted, buff-colored eggs. When a predator approaches a killdeer’s nest or its young, the bird often tries to distract the intruder by dragging one of its wings as if it were broken. Killdeers eat many insects harmful to crops, and are protected by game laws. See also Plover.
Killdeer
