Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover found in the Americas.
About the Killdeer
The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover found in the Americas. Its shrill, two-syllable call is often heard, sounding like "kill deer". It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. Three subspecies are described. Its upperparts are mostly brown with rufous fringes, the head has patches of white and black, and two black bands cross the breast. The belly and the rest of the breast are white. The nominate (or originally described) subspecies breeds from southeastern Alaska and southern Canada to Mexico. It is seen year-round in the southern half of its breeding range; the subspecies C. v. ternominatus is resident in the West Indies, and C. v. peruvianus inhabits Peru and surrounding South American cou
Fun Facts About Killdeer
- The young then fledge about 31 days after hatching, and breeding first occurs after one year of age.
- It is protected by the American Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Canadian Migratory Birds Convention Act.
- The nonbreeding habitat of the killdeer includes coastal wetlands, beach habitats, and coastal fields.
- It primarily forages during the day, but in the nonbreeding season, when the moon is full or close to full, it forages at night, likely because of increased insect abundance and reduced predation during the night.
- Both parents incubate the eggs for 22 to 28 days typically.
Conservation Status
The Killdeer is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | Charadriiformes |
| Family | Charadriidae |
| Genus | Charadrius |
| Species | Charadrius vociferus |
Range & Habitat
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Other species in the Charadriidae family: