Killdeer update
We recently returned to the Killdeer nest and discovered that the nest, eggs , and Killdeer are all gone. The only thing left is an impression in the dirt where the nest once rested.
We recently returned to the Killdeer nest and discovered that the nest, eggs , and Killdeer are all gone. The only thing left is an impression in the dirt where the nest once rested.
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Hi, Ouch! Actually, Killdeer don't make a nest out of brought in materials the way perching birds do -- they just make a scrape (slight depression) in the dirt or gravel or whatever and lay their eggs directly in that. They may bring some stones that look a bit like their eggs to surround the scrape and provide camoflage. The incredibly cute hatchlings are precocial -- that is, they have down, open eyes, and are able to run about and even feed themselves within 24 hours of hatching. The entire family leaves the nesting area as soon as the youngsters are able to, so you won't see anything left once they're gone, except for that slight depression. I didn't see even bits of eggshell after the family had left a nest I observed -- it's possible the birds eat the eggshells, as Wood Ducks do.
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