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 Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)

Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus photo
Killdeer, Fishing Pier, Goose Island State Park, Texas
Photograph by Alan And Elaine Wilson. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)




Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus photo
Kildeer, Loop Drive, Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge, Oregon
Photograph by Alan And Elaine Wilson. Some rights reserved.  (view image details)





KILLDEER FACTS
Description
The Killdeer is a gray brown bird with white underside. It has a prominent black double band on the breast. The top band completely encircles the body. The head is white with brown cap and sides, and a thin black band on the front of the head extending through the eye and round the back of the head. The rump is reddish-orange and can be seen in flight or when the bird is displaying. Male and female killdeer are similar in appearance, and juveniles are similar to adults.

Size
23-27cm, with an average wingspan of 17.5 cm

Environment
savannas, deciduous forest, sandbars, mudflats, open pastures, parks.

Food
aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, insects , crustaceans. Also some berries.

Breeding
The nest is a depression scraped into the bare earth. Nests are usually located in open areas with sparse vegetation. Females lay from 2 -6 eggs in a clutch (average 4). Eggs hatch after incubation of 24 to 28 days.

Range
found over much of North America and parts of South America. Range is from the Gulf of Alaska, throughout the United States, into South America, runs along the Andes Mountain Range and terminates at the southern border of Peru.

Classification
Class:Aves
Order:Charadriiformes
Family:Charadriidae
Genus:Charadrius
Species:vociferus
Common Name:Killdeer








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