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Charadrius vociferus
By Jim Achieve
Study 100 Frequent Valley Birds is a photograph weblog collection highlighting the 100 most typical Valley chook species.
Submit #9 within the Study 100 Frequent Valley Birds collection. (Species 14/100.)
Standing
The Killdeer is a Frequent Resident to California’s Central Valley. Killdeer belong to the plover household (Charadriidae) with 68 species worldwide. As their Latin particular epithet title signifies, they’re fairly noisy (vociferous).
Description
The Killdeer’s upperparts are largely brown with white underparts. Their higher chest is interrupted by 2 black bands. The sexes are monomorphic (alike) and plumages are basically similar all through yr.
Distribution
Killdeer may be discovered from Canada, south all the way in which to the coastal areas of Peru. In California’s Central Valley, Killdeer may be present in shut proximity to people, typically in schoolyards, parks and companies with filth heaps.
Nests and Younger
Killdeer nests are situated on largely flat, gravelly open areas with little to no nesting materials seen. They’re additionally recognized to nest on flat graveled rooftops and parking heaps. Killdeer younger are precocial vs altricial at start. A precocial chook is “able to transferring round by itself quickly after hatching.” The phrase comes from the identical Latin root as “precocious.” Altricial means “incapable of transferring round by itself quickly after hatchling.” It comes from a Latin root which means “to nourish” a reference to the necessity for in depth parental care
Habits – Damage-Feigning Show
Carried out by both intercourse, normally by just one member of pair at a time. If each members of pair are current, one normally offers alarm calls from a distance. In response to potential predator, chook crouches, head low, breast-bands minimally displaying, wings drooping and partially prolonged, generally flapping to beat in opposition to the bottom, tail fanned and dragging the bottom to show rufous rump-patch. Displaying chook’s physique is normally oriented away from potential predator, however its head is turned to the aspect such that the chook appears over its shoulder at potential predator.
Related Species
There’s one other breast-banded plover species just like the Killdeer that may be discovered within the valley throughout spring and fall migration. The Semipalmated Plover has largely the identical coloration and marking besides that it solely has one band throughout its breast and it’s a smaller species.
Try the comparability between the 2 species beneath.
Earlier posts from the Study 100 Frequent Valley Birds collection,
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