Walking at Forum Nature Area, in Columbia, on this cold, windy morning, my wife and I came across five killdeer, foraging on an icy lake bed. A few shallow pools that still dot the floodplain were their primary hunting zones, likely offering a mix of aquatic invertebrates and larvae for their breakfast.
Unlike other plovers that depart for southern latitudes to spend the winter months, killdeer are content to remain across the southern half of the U.S. and northward along the coastal plains. Those that summered in these areas are joined by killdeer that bred across Canada and the northern U.S.
In all seasons, killdeer prefer open country, from beaches to fields, pastures and grasslands. Invertebrates and their larvae comprise the great majority of their diet, though seeds and small fish are also consumed. Oblivious of the winds that rake their hunting grounds, they look out of place in wintry landscapes.
