[Birdtalk] Killdeer Hatchling

[John CAVITT]

Adults will brood young for a week or so but yg are fully mobile within 24hr of hatching.  Adult shorebirds don't actually feed their young.  They are precocial so young forage on their own but parents stay with young to lead them to forage sites, protect from predators and brood them.  So your Killdeer adults are doing exactly what they should.

Cheers

JFC

John F. Cavitt PhD, Director
Office of Undergraduate Research
Professor of Zoology

Mailing Address
Dept. of Zoology
Weber State University
2505 University Circle
Ogden, UT 84408-2505

(801) 626-6172
(801) 626-8541
Avian Ecology Lab 
(801) 626-8634
cell:(801) 791-4438
FAX: (801) 626-6861
homepage: http://faculty.weber.edu/jcavitt
http://departments.weber.edu/avianecologylab





"A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and
beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."


Aldo Leopold


>>> Jeff Bilsky <jbilsky at gmail.com> 4/30/2009 7:54 AM >>>
There is a tiny killdeer hatchling and two very anxious parents on a small
strip of grass in between the street and a parking lot across from my
office. There is a Kestrel eying them very closely. The tiny killdeer can't
even hold its head up - it is just flopped in the grass and the parents keep
landing in the middle of the street with cars zipping past. Does anyone know
how long after hatching before a "new" killdeer is up and really able to
move. I saw this little one move a bit but he doesn't seem to have much
energy. And unfortunately the adults seem more interested in chasing off
predators and freaking out than feeding their offspring - which I can
understand with all the threats around. I know nature gets by without my
help but its tough not to want to do something if I can......

-- 
Jeff Bilsky
Salt Lake City
jbilsky at gmail.com 
www.endlesswilderness.com 
twitter.com/Bilsky