Previous Page
Killdeer Nest Activity at camp late June to July 20, 2003

Well camouflaged Killdeer eggs on a sand beach.

Egg close up - 4 hard-to-see eggs.

Mama, trying to distract me from the eggs.

"Look at my broken wing. Come follow me away from my eggs!"


The first crack.
Almost hatched.

Very new chick - very well camouflaged!

Drying off and fluffing up! About and hour old.

One newborn, and one chick about 3 hours old.

Two very young chicks, same pair but each a little older.


Just hanging out waiting for my siblings.
Killdeer eggs take from 24 to 28 days to hatch. These eggs were layed in a very shallow depression on a sand beach in South Hero, Vermont. When the chicks hatch they already have their downy fluffy feathers and are able to walk. The parents move each one to a more protected place near the nest, within a few hours after birth. In this case it was a thicket of low shrub about 15 yards from the nest. Once moved however, chicks reappeared and then disappeared randomly until all 4 eggs had hatched, probably because the parents were still hanging out near the nest, protecting the remaining eggs. It took two days for all eggs to hatch and both parents protected the nest constantly and very nosiely during that time whenever someone approached.

Look, I'm almost a real bird already. What's taking these guys so long to hatch!

Well. not quite a real Killdeer yet.

Being all of 1 day old, I'm running away across the beach back to the thicket my mommy took me to right after I was born, about 15 yards from where I was born. It's hard to see me - good for me - bad for you!

Here I am!