Plovers family Charadriidae Forest preserve hotspots hotspots •
Fort Sheridan (Lake Forest)
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Independence Grove (Libertyville)
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Pine Dunes (Antioch) American golden plover Pluvialis dominica
Pluvialis squatarola
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus Charadrius melodus
Medium
Species Showcase Killdeer
Killdeer parents want you to look at them. They distract predators from their ground-based nests by putting on a dramatic broken-wing act. Bending one wing at a sharp angle as if broken, they drag their feet, fan their tail feathers and produce shrill kill-deer calls.
Black-bellied plover
Piping plover
Wetland
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Semipalmated plover
Charadrius semipalmatus
If a predator such as a raccoon or red-tailed hawk follows the adult, it will lure them a safe distance away, then “miraculously” recover and escape. Killdeers are known for building nests in places that are inconvenient to humans, including gravel parking lots, golf courses, lawns and sports fields. Though they nest in dry areas, the species is considered a shorebird in the plover family. Adults are good swimmers, and young birds can navigate small streams.
Piping plover
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