Skip to content
Personal tools
Cam Archives » 2007 Archives » 2007 Archives » Killdeer (NY)

Killdeer (NY)

Document Actions
The camera came online May 7th, in live streaming video!
Species: Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
Location: Ithaca, NY
Status: LIVE! Three chicks fledged!

View comments View donor list

Daily Highlights:



May 31 - A killdeer foraging in the field, probably one of the chicks. They eat mostly worms, insects and snails.


May 29 - This killdeer fledgling can't fly yet but it can feed itself, with a little parental guidance.





May 28 - The Killdeer have left the nest site but the parents will remain with the young until they can fly, which usually occurs when they are 20 to 30 days old.


May 28 - A nice image of a very young Killdeer.  The nestlings can leave the nest as soon as their feathers are dry, sometimes within hours of hatching.


May 27 - The chicks are born in a precocial state, meaning that they can see, move around, and have feathers.  This allows the young to leave the nest within one day of hatching.


May 26 - A great shot of the female with a newly hatched chick!


May 26 - Hatching has definitely started with our first sign of a broken eggshell!


May 25 - This image shows the female in a posture that suggests that hatching may be starting soon!


May 24 - The male and female are preparing for hatching to begin soon!


May 23 - Killdeer eggs are attractively colored with a tan, cream, or gray background and  reddish-brown speckling.


May 22 - The killdeer gets its misleading name from one of the calls it makes, a whistle-like "kill-dee, kill-dee, kill-dee."


May 21 - Hatching should begin in about one week!


May 20 - One of the many families of Canada Geese that share the lawn with the well-camouflaged Killdeer sitting on the ground seen in the center of the image.


May 19 - A great image of the female showing a territorial display to defend her nest.


May 18 - The female checks the eggs while the male takes a peek.


May 17 - The male and female of the species are virtually indistinguishable from one another.


May 16 - The nesting killdeer is totally unaffected by the presence of a Canada goose and her goslings.


May 15 - Visible here during a moment of preening are the killdeer's rufous (reddish) rump feathers.


May 14 - The killdeer's double neck band gives it a distinctive look, and helps humans distinguish it at a distance from other plovers.


May 13 - This cam site in Sapsucker Woods attracts a wide variety of birds!


May 12 - The female shares the morning with a curious gosling!


May 11 - A funny image of the male and female on day 9 of incubation.


May 10 - Incubation is shared by both parents, but at night, the male assumes most of the responsibility.


May 9 - The female has been incubating the four eggs since May 2nd, and with a 25 day incubation period, we expect hatching to begin around Memorial Day.


May 8 - A killdeer is a ground-nesting bird whose nests are in open areas and difficult to see, making the eggs vulnerable to human activity.