Since I live near a lake, my open windows bring a cacophony of waterfowl and shorebirds, in addition to the typical birds like starlings, sparrows, and Blue Jays that are prominent in more urban areas. I’m also just near enough to the Chadakoin River and the marshy areas bordering it to get a healthy selection of Spring Peepers and American Toads. This year especially, the geese, swans, mergansers, and seagulls in the distance were loud and present throughout March as the thick layer of ice began to melt.

However, every year there is one bird species that makes itself known early and often, and it is usually loud enough that I can hear it with the windows still closed. If you have never heard of Killdeer, that might not mean you have never heard its sounds before. They are loud and their calls can be persistent, continuing for an extended period of time. 

Killdeer are a smaller bird, around the size of a robin, though they are a bit lankier, particularly in the leg department. They are primarily brown and white, with two black bands on their chests, in addition to the reddish-orange ring surrounding their eye. They are a type of plover, but they spend more time on large, open plots of land than on the shore or wading in the water. 

I learned about Killdeer as a teenager, spending part of my summers working with a friend and getting paid to weed, plant, and mulch the hundred or so individual gardens at their house over the summer. Some of these gardens were filled with rocks rather than plant-based mulch, both in an effort to reduce weeds and for her father’s preferred aesthetics. Killdeer, in what I consider a somewhat risky nesting strategy for a bird found so often in populated areas, are one of the many shorebirds that build their nests on the ground. To be fair to Killdeer though, their nesting preferences came before the towns and houses, so it is more of a successful adaptation on their part than a choice to be around people. 

Photo Renee Grayson Killdeer stands in profile.

Killdeer won’t nest just anywhere though. They have adapted to nesting in rocky areas, like those rocky gardens I worked in a couple decades ago. Rather than camouflaging the nest, the eggs are camouflaged. The pattern on Killdeer eggs allows them to blend almost seamlessly into the rocks surrounding them. 

My friend and I would hear them first as we accidentally approached their nests. Remember, Killdeer are loud, and they use this fact to their advantage when protecting their nests. If a predator, or wayward human, is getting too close, the adult Killdeer will run away from the nest, making loud noises, while faking a broken wing. This attempt to lure the predator towards them instead of their nest continues until the predator takes them up on it. But when the predator gets close, the Killdeer takes to the skies, flying away to safety. As teens who were not looking for a Killdeer meal, we did the opposite, and waited for the Killdeer to leave; then we looked around the garden until we found the eggs, making sure we noted where they were so we would not step on them while working.

This brings us back to my present-day living situation. I have yet to investigate exactly where the Killdeer are nesting, but I imagine that the rocky parking lot dividers at the hotel, any rocky roofs, the park along the shore, and other spaces provide ample options, even if they come with some risks. In my current location, I hear these birds calling constantly, either from across a yard or parking lot, or flying overhead. Although I do hear them during the day, I notice them most at night. As the other birds have quieted down, they leave the Killdeer to call throughout the night. Prior to moving here, I didn’t typically think of them as nocturnal birds, but the calls coming through my open bedroom window has proved this idea wrong.

Killdeer make a high-pitch, two-note noise, and their sound is actually what gave them their name. Their frequent high-pitched calls also give them their scientific name, Charadrius vociferus. Merriam-Webster defines vociferous as a vehement insistent outcry, which fits fairly accurately for this bird, at least in the warmer months.

I realize that my description may imply that I find this bird annoying or a disturbance. However, despite, or perhaps due to, their persistent nighttime call, I actually love having them around. I can identify that sound in a heartbeat, and every time I hear them, I look out and try to locate where they are going to and from. Just because a bird does not have the melodic call of a song bird or the sweet sound of a chickadee, that does not make it unwanted. In fact, their presence is both a familiar and welcome sign of spring for me and a fun callback to memories from years ago.

Photo by Tony Alter Killdeer eggs on rocks.

Audubon Community Nature Center builds and nurtures connections between people and nature. ACNC is located just east of Route 62 between Warren and Jamestown. The trails are open from dawn to dusk and birds of prey can be viewed anytime the trails are open. The Nature Center is open from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. daily except Sunday when it opens at 1 p.m. More information can be found online at auduboncnc.org or by calling (716) 569-2345.