That was the question I heard as I crossed the parking lot at Todd’s Point in Reid State Park near Georgetown, Maine where I’ve been birding for the past week.
The question surprised me, and I turned to my birding buddy and said “Why do we keep building parking lots where birds nest?” That is the much more important question in my mind.
Habitat loss due to human action is the leading cause of population declines for birds and other wildlife. In many cases we have simply left no place else for birds to go.
The nesting bird was a Killdeer, a member of the Plover family, which are mostly shorebirds but the Killdeer is often found far from the shore. It likes to lay its eggs in gravel, and this gravel parking lot was perfect (well, except for the cars driving around the cordoned off nest and all of the people coming to look at it).
It’s really not a good idea to disturb a nesting bird, because they waste a lot of energy flying away from their nest because of unwelcome visitors who startle them and cause them to take flight when they want nothing more than to be tending to their nests. Many shorebirds are in trouble and declining because their nests keep getting disturbed. Prime disturbances include ATVs on the beach and people who let their dogs run through nesting areas (and the cars and people in this particular parking lot).
As the people who had asked the question about the “stupid bird” approached this nest, the Killdeer got off of her eggs and began to call loudly and to run away, diverting attention from the 4 precious eggs she had been sitting on.
Killdeer don’t really make a nest, they just make a shallow depression in the gravel and lay their eggs right there. This means that their eggs are quite exposed if mama is forced to leave them unattended.
Killdeer have a unique way to distract those who would get too close to their eggs. They do the “broken wing act,” dragging one wing along the ground as if they are injured. This action causes would be predators to think that they are weak and easy prey, thus inviting the attacker to chase them, which of course leads the intruder away from the eggs, and the bird will fly away if their attacker gets too close.
What strange bird behavior have you noticed in your wildlife garden?
martha elliott says
I loved your answer.
I am waiting to have my gutters fixed because theres a bird nest in a gutter on the front of my house . the mama bird comes out and fusses at me.
mbe
Carole Sevilla Brown says
Martha, it’s funny I waited to have some roof work done, too because I had birds nesting in my gutters. Fortunately they were done with that nest early enough in the season that I was able to fix my roof before it leaked again.
Connie says
I live near Tulsa and have a pair of Carolina wrens that are trying to build a nest in a basket of begonias 3 feet from my glass back door. My cat then spots them flying in and out, and they start squawking their alarm call. I’ve placed a piece of cardboard against the glass so they can’t see other, but am wondering how I go about watering the plant for the next few weeks – or do I just allow it to die in this 100 deg. heat for the sake of the babies?
Renate Dietzschold says
I had Carolina wrens nesting in my begonia pot last Summer, too. I watched the adult bird, and when it left the nest, I quickly went out to water on the side opposite the babies. Both, birds and plant, survived beautifully.
Connie says
okay, good! I went and looked last night and spotted some little white eggs way down in there…how cool. Then I saw a female cowbird going in there – evidently to add one of her eggs to the nest! I scared her away, but obviously can’t keep that up. Excited to see what happens…
Carole Sevilla Brown says
Connie:
I’ve done as Renate has done, waited for Mama to leave then sneak some water in there. Good luck with your babies!
Ann says
We have a killdeer nesting in our back yard right now. You are so right about the broken wing act! We have seen the Mom do this if we get too close. Love the article……
Eileen says
Didn’t know where to go with this problem…PLEASE HELPI have been feeding humming
birds for 20 years in the same spot an 2 days ago honey bees moved in by the hundreds
I took the feeder in, sprayed Raid because they came after me taking the feeder down. Moved the feeder down wind from where it was an in the back of the house an it only
took them about 20 min.to find it. My poor humming birds come looking for their necter an either can’t get to it because of so many bees covering it or I have taken it in.
What can I do to get rid of them. My husband is in the final stages od dimentiaan loves to watch the birds. Thanks for any help u can give me
Joyce says
I enjoyed reading about the killdeers since I’ve seen these birds in the fields near my home in the Cleveland, OH area. I never knew what the birds were. Now I can pass this info on to others. Thanks.
karen ho fatt says
Birds can nest in the oddest places! Including behind my wall sconce on the deck! For the past 2 years I have had the pleasure of watching babies grow up and fly away but not so lucky when I go outside to use the deck- getting dive bombed!