Appearance

• Like other shorebirds, killdeer have fairly stubby beaks, large eyes and big, round heads. Their bodies are long and thin, averaging about 10.5 inches in length, with long wings and long, pointed tails. Killdeer main coloring is tan to brown and their white chest features two tell-tale black bands near the top, as if they are wearing a pair of necklaces. They also have black bands on their faces, namely around their eyes and across their foreheads, offset with white. Bright orange tops off their rear end area, which is highly visible while they are flying.
  
  

Other Identification

• In addition to noting their appearance, you can identify killdeer birds by the way they run and the sounds they make. Killdeer scamper quickly on their lanky legs, then suddenly stop to check out their surroundings. The running begins again, and continues in spurts, with them stopping every so often to once again check out what's around. Their voices are loud, excited and sound as if they are screaming, "kill-deer," "kill-dee," or just "dee-dee-dee."
  
  

Habitat

• Killdeer birds are shorebirds and, although they frequent beaches, mudflats and swamps, they are not as dependent on water as other shorebirds. They hang out in places with short grass, such as meadows, sports fields, golf courses and lawn areas, as well as driveways and parking lots. Killdeer can remain in the United States year-round, and many do, while others head to the northernmost states and Canada for their summer breeding and Central America for the winter months.
  
  

Diet and Predators

• Killdeer feast mainly on small invertebrates, such as worms and snails, and a variety of insects, including beetles and grasshoppers. They often eat seeds and small vertebrates. Their predators include opossum, chipmunks, skunks, mice and other small mammals, which attack the nests, and hawks, owls, rats and larger mammals that eat the adult birds. To deter predators intent from eating their young, killdeer feign a broken wing to lure them away from their nests. To avert the crushing feet of cattle, horses and humans, killdeer often puff up their plumage and charge at the incoming beasts so they will change direction.
  
  

Mating

• Killdeer usually stick with the same mate year after year. They also share parenting responsibilities. Male and female killdeer both build the nest and incubate the eggs. Young killdeer hatch from the tan, spotted eggs in about 30 days. Young killdeer can run soon after hatching; immediately afterward, their wings are dry. Flying comes about 30 days later.