Kildeer chick

Young kildeer are precocial--which means they can run and feed themselves from birth. They are also feathered when they hatch, unlike many birds that hatch in nests in trees. Kildeer nest on the ground in a shallow dirt or rock bowl without much cover. Adults feign a "broken wing" to distract and lead potential predators away from the nest. This is just one of the four chicks seen on a road while doing Four-Square Mile Waterfowl Counts this spring.