Charadrius vociferus

The killdeer, a member of the family of birds called plovers, lives year-round in central North Carolina. They're most frequently spotted in grassy fields and open areas and lay their eggs directly on the ground using little or no nesting material. Both males and females care for young, who shortly after hatching are out and about foraging for insects. When predators threaten, a parent bird may feign injury to its wing, making a conspicuous display of vulnerability to distract the intruder from the nest.

Cool Links:

Killdeer - natural history from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.  Includes illustrations and samples of killdeer calls.

The Precocious Killdeer - a lesson in the benefits of ignoring a seemingly injured killdeer.

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