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BIRD COLUMN FOR
July 25, 2004 By Benjamin P.
Burtt Topic: The
Killdeer and its Nesting Habits , Precocial and Altricial Youngsters, A Young
Killdeer that Disappeared while I was Staring at it. A Tame
Quail Introduction Provided
below is a copy of all the material that appeared in the newspaper column on
the date above, plus extra information for the interested reader who wishes
to learn more about this subject. Here is a recent question: Dear Prof. Burtt: We have a brown bird that nested in the
pebbles beside our driveway. When we approached the nest, the bird hobbled
off like she was hurt and put her tail feathers up like a peacock. Her tail
feathers are a lighter brown with some white. Please tell us something about
this bird. —C. N., Marcellus, NY Dear C.N: The bird is a killdeer. It is related to the
sandpipers, but instead of feeding along the shore, it prefers plowed fields
and pasture lands. There it eats worms, grubs and insects of various kinds. There are two black bands across its breast. In flight, a
golden-red rump is conspicuous and it has quite a long tail. It is a noisy
bird and repeats its loud insistent call again and again: "kill-dee,
kill-dee, kill-dee." The
Killdeer Is A Common Bird The killdeer is the most common shorebird that breeds in
Central New York. Shorebirds are those long legged, wading birds we see along
beaches, lakeshores and muddy pools. The most familiar ones are the
sandpipers that dash out into shallow water and mud flats to pick up little
marine worms and other invertebrates. The largest group are the sandpipers and the next most abundant
are the plovers. The killdeer is a plover. Plovers are more compact and with
a shorter neck than the sandpipers. The bill is shorter and stouter too. Of all the shorebirds, the killdeer is one of the easiest
to identify for there are two black bands across the breast as shown in the
painting. In flight, a golden-red rump is conspicuous and it has quite a long
tail.
It is a noisy bird and repeats its loud insistent call
again and again: "kill-dee, kill-dee, kill-dee." Both its common
name and its scientific name reflect this characteristic voice. The scientific name is Charadrius vociferus
where the first word is the genus and the second part, the species name. The species ,
vociferous, is close to the English word, vociferous which means noisy or
loud. Practically No Nest It lays its eggs in the open on the ground. Spots with
gravel, cinders or pebbles are chosen where the eggs will be almost
invisible. There is no real nest. It finds a small depression on the ground
or perhaps scrapes a very shallow hollow.
Now and then, it puts a few pieces of grass on the spot. The eggs are
laid right on the ground. They have a lot of brownish blotches and spots on a
buffy background. The eggs are very large for the size of the parent bird.
For example, although the killdeer and the robin are very nearly the same
size, the killdeer's egg is twice the size of a robin's egg. It only takes
the robin 13 days to hatch its egg, but the killdeer egg requires 26 days!
There are some good reasons for these differences. Killdeer youngsters are “precocial” Young birds fall into two categories, depending upon how well developed they are
when they hatch. Altricial birds hatch in a helpless
condition , most with their eyes closed, are
unable to leave the nest and
are wholly dependent upon their parents for food and care. Most are born
naked . Examples are robins, jays and house sparrows. The herons, hawks and owls are born with a covering of
down, but they are still helpless. Precocial birds hatch in the opposite condition
in that they can move about soon after hatching and drying. They hatch with their eyes open, are
covered with down and only partly or not at all dependent upon their parents
for food and care. They leave the nest within a few hours of hatching. Young killdeers are precocial. This does require something
different. The young killdeers must be quite well developed by hatching time
if they are to walk immediately. The
large yolk mentioned above, provides
the extra food they need while
developing in the egg. A large egg and a longer period of incubation are
required for precocial birds. Generally, the
chicks of helpless altircial birds hatch in sturdy nests in trees where they
are protected from animals that walk about on the ground. Precocial chicks like the killdeer leave
the nest immediately which gives them some protection from raccoons, weasels
or other mammals that would devour helpless chicks in a nest on the ground. Their legs are well developed, but their wings are very tiny
and unfeathered. They cannot fly at this stage. The parents guard them, but
do not feed them. The youngsters must pick up their own food. Well camouflaged I tried to catch a young one some years ago. He ran from me
and then stopped suddenly. I moved in to drop my cap over him. However, I
could not find him although he had stopped on an open patch of dirt right
before my eyes. I stared at the spot and studied it for some time before I
could make out his outline. When a young killdeer "freezes," its
camouflage is almost perfect! Broken
Wing Act When the incubating killdeer is disturbed on the nest, it
puts up quite an act. If the intruder is a predatory animal such as a dog, a
fox or a man that might want the egg, it flutters away from the nest with one
wing hanging loosely as if it was injured. Predators are strongly attracted to an injured bird (they
are easier to catch I suppose). The killdeer moves a short distance away from
the nest; beats one wing on the ground and the other will be twisted up over
its back. This behavior together with its loud calling is enough to distract
the predator away from the nest site. Different tactics are used with a horse, a cow or deer.
Such animals have no interest in the eggs, but they still might destroy them
by walking over the nest. In these cases, the killdeer seldom leaves the nest until
the animal is just about ready to step on it. At that point, the killdeer
flies at the face of the intruder and frequently strikes it on the muzzle.
This usually causes the animal to retreat and the nest is saved. The Little Quail While on the subject of baby birds, I remembered a summer
at Cape Cod many years ago. There, a little quail was the source of much
delight to visitors to the Massachusetts Audubon Society's Wellfleet Bay
Sanctuary. This particular bird had been taken in by a local
resident. Because of its small size and striped appearance, it was
immediately named, "Bumblebee." Bumblebee frequently fed at the family table where its
cage was taken at mealtime. Later, when given a little more freedom, the bird
formed the habit of sleeping on a blanket at the foot of its mistress's bed.
The bird formed such an attachment for the woman, that it attempted to drive
away friends who came to visit. It even attacked her husband. In desperation, she checked with the Wellfleet sanctuary.
They had some quail there in a semi-wild state in a fairly well protected
area. Bumblebee was liberated there. It adapted itself to life in the sanctuary and learned to
feed for itself. Generally, it was seen by itself and was not quite accepted
by the other quail there. The little quail seemed to prefer human friends. On
Sundays when visitors were there in large numbers, the quail got lots of attention.
A visitor was often startled to see the little bobwhite pop out of the bushes
into the path, tame and unafraid. It would walk up to people,
"peep" and allow them to touch or pet it. Young birds usually become attached to the first living
creature they see. This is normally the parent. When a young bird is raised by
humans, it becomes attached to them and does not know that this is a
dangerous thing to do. It may later approach a human or some other moving
animal and be killed. It probably will
not recognize others of its own kind and so will never mate. If you find a young bird, it is best to leave it alone.
The parents are probably nearby and will take care of it. In addition, it is protected by law and it
was illegal for the lady to have taken
it into captivity. . |
