Killdeer Hatchling

I was driving through a parking lot earlier today when I noticed a familiar face pulling alongside me. This is a Killdeer hatchling, and mom and dad were nearby, rushing up to my vehicle with distraction displays to protect the little one. They called loudly, flew around, and one pretended to have a broken wing.

I do not know if they had more chicks or not, and it was a tough area to raise a family. Killdeers are often mistaken for Piping Plovers, though their habitats - gravel, open grass, dirt and stony lots for the former vs. sandy beaches and dunes for the latter - can be sufficient to identify them. When comparing the species, adult Killdeer are heavier, taller, brown rather than gray, have red eye rings, less vibrant legs, longer black bills, and two large black breast bands as opposed to one, with very different calls. Some of the same characteristics hold true for young birds. Be mindful in parking areas in May as you never know who might be running around.