Killdeer
by Priscilla Burgers
Title
Killdeer
Artist
Priscilla Burgers
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
"Killdeer" was photographed at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. The Killdeer is a medium-sized plover. The adults have a brown back and wings, a white belly, and a white breast with two black bands. The rump is tawny orange. The face and cap are brown with a white forehead. The eyering is orange-red. The chicks are patterned almost identically to the adults, and are precocial or able to move around immediately after hatching.
Although Killdeer are considered shorebirds, they often live far from water. They live in grassland habitats such as fields, meadows, and pastures. Like many other waders, Killdeer forage for food in fields, mudflats, and shores, usually by sight. They mainly eat insects.
Killdeer's name comes from their frequently heard call. These birds will often use a distraction display ("broken-wing act") to distract predators from their nests. This involves the bird walking away from its nesting area holding its wing in a position that simulates an injury and then flapping around on the ground emitting a distress call. The predators then think they have easy prey and are attracted to this seemingly injured bird and away from the nest. If the parent sees that a potential predator is not following them, they will move closer and get louder until they get the attention of the predator. This is repeated until the predator is far from the nest, and the killdeer suddenly "heals" and flies away.
Established April 6, 1927, Savannah NWR consists of over 29,000 acres of freshwater marshes, tidal rivers and creeks and bottomland hardwoods. The refuge is located in the heart of the Lowcountry, a band of low land, bordered on the west by sandhill ridges and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, extending from Georgetown, South Carolina to St. Mary's, Georgia.
Known for it's rich flora during the humid summer months, the region also supports a diverse wildlife population. The variety of birdlife within the Lowcountry is enhanced by its location on the Atlantic Flyway. During the winter months, thousands of ring-necked, teal, pintails, and as many as ten other species of ducks migrate into the area, joining resident wood ducks on the refuge. In the spring and fall, transient songbirds stop briefly on their journey to and from northern nesting grounds.
Savannah NWR is one of seven refuges administered by the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex. This chain of national wildlife refuges extends from Pinckney Island NWR near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, to Wolf Island NWR near Darien, Georgia. Between these lie Savannah (the largest unit in the complex), Wassaw, Tybee, Harris Neck, and Blackbeard Island refuges. Together they span a 100-mile coastline and total over 56,000 acres. The Savannah Coastal Refuges are administered from headquarters located in Savannah, Georgia.
FAA Featured Photo:
Creators Guild Group-11/24/2013
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Your Favorite Art Work Group-11/24/2013
FAA Featured Photo:
1-2-3-4-5 Group-11/24/2013
FAA Featured Photo:
Wildlife Group-11/24/2013
FAA Featured Photo:
Versatile Photography Group-11/24/2013
Uploaded
November 15th, 2013
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