I finally got around to editing these photos of a Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) taken during the Noble Proctor BioBlitz Challenge last month. The bird appeared in the first photo like any other – no big deal.
Oh no, this bird is “injured”! Not so much. This is a distraction display, feigning injury, in order to draw our group away from the area and protect a nest or young hatchlings.
The bird makes it look like it has a broken wing and has lost the ability to fly, attempting to tempt mammals like us into running them down for a meal (before they fly away).
If we did then we would all be away from the nest or young – mission accomplished!
In this case these photos were taken all rapidly and with a 500mm lens, so it was not quite as close as it appears – at least yet. Several of us were on the dune together and we could not just run away.
With the bird acting as it was we were unsure where the nest might be, after listening for but not hearing any calls to or of little ones, and scanned for it unsuccessfully.
We did not want to step on any eggs while making an exit from the area.
The problem became that the bird was hopping here, there and everywhere, not so much leading us any from anything but making a confusing spectacle.
It then decided it disliked me especially, and walked right towards me, confusing us all the more. The angle of this photo being higher shows the proximity as the little bird was close.
Thankfully it backed off a few seconds later and ran away in the other direction, giving us an escape vector, and letting the bird relax and go back to business.
If you see such distraction displays from any avian species be aware that you are near a nest or young birds, and it is probably best to start heading the direction the parent wants and exiting the area as safely as you can.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
