This week for Flora and Fauna Friday we have an onomatopoeia-ic shorebird who’s forsaken the shore in favor of green pastures, the Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus).
The Killdeer is a bird belonging to a group called the Shorebirds. This clade has experienced quite the taxonomic reorganization in recent years so I won’t get into confusing details. Just know that it includes our Sandpipers, Oystercatchers, Avocets, and Plovers. Members of this group are typically found on beaches and marshes. Killdeer are a species of Plover and our largest member of the “Banded” Plovers, genus Charadrius (but markedly smaller than the Grey Plovers, genus Pluvialis). They’re roughly the size of Mourning Doves and have long legs, a rusty-brown back, white belly, two heavy black bands across the chest, and big eyes ringed in red. They primarily eat invertebrates of all shapes and sizes. They get their curious common name from their call, a powerfully shrill, slurred “kill-deer.” A sound that should be as recognizable to the islander as the croaking “ca-ha” of the Fish Crow or the derisive guffaw of the Laughing Gull.
Like other Plovers, Killdeer can be found trotting along the beach, through the marsh, and over the mudflats. However, unlike our other Plovers, Killdeer are habitat generalists and aren’t restricted to the coast. They can be found in open habitat across the state and their staccato scooting can often be seen along lakeshores, farm fields, urban parks, and gravel parking lots. Killdeer are found year-round throughout all of South Carolina and breed across the entire United States. Killdeer nest on the ground in open areas, creating a small scrape to lay their eggs in. They’re partial to gravel lots and roofs but also nest on bare soil and short grass. Nesting out in the open has the advantage of giving the Killdeer total visibility of their surroundings, so they can detect all possible threats. When a predator is observed, Killdeer engage in a unique distraction display called the “broken wing act.” As the name suggests, the parent will move away from their nest and feign an injury, a broken wing to be precise. They will fan their orange tail feathers and frantically flail about on the ground. As the intruder approaches, the bird will string it along away from their chicks, pretending to be incapable of flight the entire time. Once they safely lead the threat away from their kids, they’ll burst off the ground and circle high in the air back around to far side of the clearing.
