Killdeer

I wanted you to see this video of a Killdeer (we call them Killdees) that has layed 4 eggs in our front yard in the last couple of days. When we first spotted the nest there were only 3 eggs but yesterday, she added another. They typically lay the eggs where they will be camoflauged like in a dirt patch with rocks. The bird prefers newly plowed fields or the banks of clear rivers, sometimes along the roadside. Their nests are usually in the open on the bare ground. The eggs typically are speckled and tend to blend into their surroundings.

We had some work done at our house this past winter and the lawn has been torn up, so where there was grass it is now bare dirt. This has now become an ideal location for this nest of eggs. I didn't get the eggs in this video but I'm standing about 6 feet from them. Watch how this bird tries to distract me away from the nest by playing "injured" so that it might be a bigger target than her precious eggs. So cute.



Although these birds are fun to see in action, they are very noisy and their chirp is not the most pleasant to hear when you are trying to enjoy a peaceful day outside. The killdeer is known for its piercing chirps that sound like "kildee, kildee." It's annoyiiiing, annoyiiiing!