You often see killdeer faking injury to lead people away from a nest. They are so successful that it is rare to actually find, let alone photograph, the nest itself. Marion Husband of Wawota, Sask., was able to do so, and she sent us this photo. She took it in the Pyotts West campground in Manitoba, where she said the nest was sitting less than eight feet from the closest camper. The site was marked so cars and campers wouldn’t harm it. Husband said the photo was taken the day the chicks hatched, and two hours later, they were off and running with their parents.
Killdeer are friends of farmers because they have large appetites for insect pests. According to Hinterland Who’s Who, they eat alfalfa weevils, wire worms, a variety of beetles, grasshoppers, ants, spiders and ticks, as well as a variety of other insects and worms.
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They are members of the plover family. Full grown, they are the approximate size of a robin, though they have longer legs, the better for running. Their name is derived from their call.
Our thanks to Marion Husband for sending us this photo and allowing us to post it.
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