Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
- On view
- Sandy Shore & Aviary
- Animal type
- Birds
- Ecosystem
- Beaches & dunes
- Relatives
- Plovers; Family: Charadriidae
- Diet
- Insects, worms and other invertebrates
- Range
- Southeast Alaska to central Mexico; West Indies; Peru
- Size
- Up to 10.5 inches (26.7 cm)
Meet the killdeer
A killdeer scrapes out a shallow nest on the ground. The black-and-white bands on a killdeer's head and neck make it harder to see as it sits quietly. If a predator does loom too near, the bird launches into its "broken wing" charade: dragging itself off, one wing twisted against its back, to lure the predator away from its young.
Watch in real time
Aviary Cam
Check out this live cam – Aviary CamConservation
The killdeer was once the most widespread shorebird in California. Unfortunately, due to population decline in recent years, the killdeer is now considered a near-threatened species by the IUCN. Tread lightly when you visit beaches and dunes; don't uproot the plants or take animals from their homes. In this fragile ecosystem, the damage we do in a day can take years to recover.
Cool facts
- Killdeer are easily alarmed; their piercing warning cries often panic other nearby birds.
- Though killdeer are shorebirds, they may nest inland from the water in coastal fields, as vegetation helps hide their young from predators.
Up next in beaches & dunes
Animal
Sand crab
No bigger than a thumb, a sand crab spends most of its time buried in shifting sand.
Keep exploring
Animal
Long-billed curlew
Curlews use their long bills to probe deeply under soil and mud for insects, worms and burrowing spiders.