Killdeer Chicks
You’ll know a killdeer sees you before you see them when you hear a high-pitched, shrilly, ear-piercing call. Killdeer chicks are precocial. They hatch on gravel nests near water bodies and must be able to walk and find food immediately to avoid predators. To protect their flightless chicks, the mother will sometimes perform a distraction tactic called “broken wing.” They’ll hobble away from their nest, and as the predator draws near, they’ll keep getting further and further away to distract them. When it gets close enough, the bird will fly away (Robert Groos Photography).