What should you do when a killdeer makes a nest with eggs in a residential yard? Learn how to keep the nesting birds safe.
Killdeer Nest and Eggs in a Busy Backyard
Updated on Oct. 08, 2024
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Where Do Killdeer Build Nests?
Not long ago, my sister was in the backyard on her small farm when a killdeer started squawking at her. This occurred every time she ventured on the back lawn.
It wasn’t until the killdeer pretended to have a broken wing that my sister realized that there must be a nest nearby. Killdeer often pretend to be injured to lure intruders away from their nests.
So, the hunt for the nest was on. It was quite hard to find because killdeer don’t really build nests. They often just lay their eggs in the middle of a field or even in open areas like parking lots.
Keep Kids and Pets Away From a Killdeer Nest
They discovered the nest in the middle of the back lawn. The mother bird seemed quite content with her choice for a nesting site. However, she could hardly have picked a more chaotic spot to lay eggs. The lawn is often populated by two rambunctious dogs, a flock of chickens and two energetic boys.
My brother-in-law built a fence to keep the dogs, chickens and kids away from the nest. In the photo below, you can barely see the female bird sitting on her nest in the distance.
Here is a closer shot.
Killdeer Mating Habits
Occasionally, when a chicken or dog gets too close, she calls out and her mate flies to her. One of the sounds that they make sounds like “killdeer.”
In the south, killdeer raise two to three broods each year, beginning in March. So, this is probably their first brood of the season.
Killdeer are known to lay eggs in the middle of gravel, so I guess a nest in the middle of a busy backyard, isn’t all that out of the ordinary.
When Do Killdeer Eggs Hatch?
Killdeer have a wide range throughout the entire United States. They are very vocal and often spotted near human habitation. While they are technically shorebirds, they are often found far away from bodies of water — these two birds have laid their eggs in the middle of the desert.
Killdeer eggs take 24 to 28 days to incubate. This may seem like a long time, but when young killdeer hatch, they are able to scurry about right away and forage for food with their parents. As a result, they spend twice as long inside the egg maturing as opposed to other birds such as robins and sparrows, which are born helpless and naked and have to rely on their parents to feed them.
I promise we will keep a close eye on this killdeer pair and their nest (from a distance, of course, so we don’t bother her).
Next, learn more about plover birds.
