Killdeer

These noisy plovers are often heard before they are seen, and in my experiences they usually flee once they're noticed. They're pretty shorebirds that are most often found on farm country and moist fields across North America.

They nest on the open ground and have precocious chicks, which are as cute and cuddly as they are lacking in good judgment.

When predators are near a Killdeer nest, the parents will often feign injury and try to draw them away. This bit of guile does not work on humans so well, but luckily we're seldom looking to harvest Killdeer eggs.

They'll lay low to the ground and spread out their wings and/or tail, appearing to have a broken bone.

Once the predator takes the bit and moves toward the adult, it will magically recover just enough to run a few more feet away, while still appearing injured.

When the danger has been drawn sufficiently away from the nest or young...exit stage right for the Killdeer. Hopefully the predator doesn't remember his original plan.