Kildeer

Description:

These birds have a large head, with a medium bill, and large prominent eyes, as pictured. The lower neck into the chest in the front has two dark bands inside a white collar. The upper body and sides are brown, going into the tail. The undersides are generally white, as pictured in those birds in flight.

Habitat:

A number of Kildeer were spotted on Antelope Island at Fielding Garr Ranch in the Great Salt Lake, Utah. The area where they were spotted was in a fresh-water spring-fed marsh just off the lake. The immediate area at the pond is surrounded with cottonwood trees, tufted hairgrass and duckweed.

Notes:

Kildeer are very noisy…both while wading in the marsh as well as in flight. In the photos attached, while in flight, you can see them calling out probably due to our presence in the area. They make an unmistakable call, which sounds like "kill-deer”, hence their name. They do nest on the ground, according to online sources, however I saw no evidence of nests in the area that we explored.