Killdeer easily identified by distinctive behavior, appearance

Many people not involved in or directly affected by the tourist industry may associate the height of summer with vacations, quiet and taking life a little more easily. At the very least, the warm weather means not having to clear your car, your property, or yourself of snow and ice every time you step out the door.

Yes, it’s summertime, and as the saying goes, “the livin’ is easy.”

Yet if you think of a bird’s life cycle, summer is the time to get ready for winter.

Many of our migrant birds have raised or are raising broods. Fledglings are learning how to forage for food, and both parent and young are fueling up for marathon flights south.

Shorebirds such as plovers, sandpipers and sanderlings, which nest in the Canadian Arctic, have already begun their flights to southern latitudes. Hundreds have been reported moving through the state.

Most of the shorebirds we would see are from points farther north, stopping over to rest and refuel before continuing their flight. However, there are a few species that nest in Maine; two of them are killdeer and the spotted sandpiper.

The killdeer is probably the most often seen and heard, especially in early spring and summer. It is often seen far from the coast, and nests on any sparsely vegetated area. This includes athletic and agricultural fields, gravel pits and flat gravel rooftops. It is a common sight around the University of Maine campus.

One of the easiest shorebirds to identify, the killdeer is white below and light brown above. It has a long, reddish tail especially noticeable in flight, long legs and two black neckbands, which are the definitive visual clues to identification.

The killdeer was so named for its distinctive call, a loud “kedeah, kedeah” or “dea-dea-dea.” These calls are associated with territory formation, defense, alarm and courtship.

The males arrive first on the breeding grounds; once females arrive and mating takes place, an average of four eggs are laid in a slight scrape on the ground. The sparseness of the nest and the coloration of the eggs ensure that it will be less conspicuous to predators. In fact, it is so well camouflaged it is hard to see even if you know where it is.

It is at this time that you may see these birds give their famous distraction display. If you approach the nest, the incubating bird will scramble along the ground, dragging one or both wings, and pretend to stumble, while crying loudly. This strategy is intended to lure a potential predator away from the nest, after which the parent will quietly return.

The young are born precocial, which means they are fully mobile and able to feed themselves immediately after hatching.

Next week: a profile of the spotted sandpiper.

Chris Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Nature Center, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com.