Calls
- Calls
Recorded by Geoffery A. Keller, Robert C. Stein
- Flight call
Recorded by Wilbur L. Hershberger
West Virginia May 2001
- Alarm calls
Recorded by Michael J. Andersen
Oregon June 2005
- Alarm call (aggressive trill)
Recorded by Gregory F. Budney
Oregon June 2005
- Alarm calls
Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller
California April 2001
Courtesy of Macaulay Library
© Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Most noticeable among the Killdeer’s many calls is the high, plaintive kill-deer the bird is named for. Displaying males give this 0.5-second call over and over while in flight. Birds in distress or sounding an alarm make a sharp dee that can intensify into a nervous, bubbling trill. This trill may also be used in courtship displays.
Backyard Tips
Doesn’t visit feeders, but if your backyard or neighborhood contains expansive, cultivated lawns or grazed fields then you could find Killdeer foraging on your property.
Find This Bird
Killdeer are surprisingly unobtrusive even on green lawns, despite their warm tawny coloration. Look carefully over lawns, short-mown fields, and even parking lots, and listen for the far-carrying kill-deer. (When you hear this call, the bird may be in flight. Look for it circling you, flying stiffly on long, pointed wings. It may resemble an American Kestrel, at least until it lands on the ground and begins walking.) Though they're often found on dry land, you should also look for them on the edges of freshwater ponds and muddy lagoons.
Get Involved
You can help scientists learn more about this species by participating in the Celebrate Urban Birds! project.
Report observations of nesting birds to NestWatch