Earlier this month I showed you the latest kildeer nest in our backyard here. Monday one of the parents noisily shepherded the newborns around the neighborhood. They were in constant motion which made portraiture a challenge.
There were originally four eggs in the nest but we only saw three chicks…and only one parent. We couldn’t find a leftover egg or any egg bits so we’re hoping the other parent was off with the fourth chick. Apparently kildeer parents carry broken eggshells away from the nest site and dispose of them.
Kildeer chicks are considered “precocial birds,” or nest fugitives. They’re well developed when they hatch and the parents, who don’t feed their young, lead them to sources of food as soon as possible. The chicks quickly feed themselves.
So lovely to see the family has safely arrived.
What a difference in size between the adults and the chicks. We have killdeer here as well.
It looks like she is explaining the process to the wee ones. 🙂
So sweet!