Killdeer

Charadrius vociferus

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About the Killdeer

The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover found in the Americas. Its shrill, two-syllable call is often heard, sounding like "kill deer". It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. Three subspecies are described. Its upperparts are mostly brown with rufous fringes, the head has patches of white and black, and two black bands cross the breast. The belly and the rest of the breast are white. The nominate (or originally described) subspecies breeds from southeastern Alaska and southern Canada to Mexico. It is seen year-round in the southern half of its breeding range; the subspecies C. v. ternominatus is resident in the West Indies, and C. v.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Charadrius vociferus
Family: Plovers and Lapwings
Order: Charadriiformes

Similar species

Other members of the plovers and lapwings family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

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