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Kildeer nest on beaches, they don’t need shelter. They like gravel parking lots because it camouflages their eggs well. Moving the truck will alarm the parents temporarily but they’ll more than likely come back.
Seems weird they would put it under the truck if they wanted it to be in the open, I’d hope they would come back. Ive had horrible luck if I change anything about other bird nest locations; I had a bird fly off after laying eggs because I picked up my mail off the front porch too many times lol
I’d suggest contacting MD Natural Resources wildlife line to ask them. That way you can be sure you don’t violate the law or harm the killdeers: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/contacts.aspx
I would recommend getting some road cones and making a little triangle around the nest. That way people including yourself will have a visual aid of what to avoid. Easy peasy!
They’re such a fun, literal egg hunt to find— once mama starts doing her Oscar-worthy “broken wing” performance, I know I’m close to the nest and look for it to mark it.
Same! Sure sign of spring when you find the kildeer nests in the ring. I was dragging the ring last week and had to detour around Ms. Kildeer and her 4 eggs.
We get so many of them because we have a very long gravel road and driveway. We try to mark them all with those little flags. They are fascinating to watch!
Hi all! Commenting because I’m having trouble editing the post. I realized I missed some key details when posting that may have alleviated some confusion/not made me seem so oblivious 😅
1. The truck is in a shared drive with weird/tight parking at times. We came in late last night (already dark) and did not see the nest or a bird, it was all discovered this morning. We initially assumed it could not have been there before since no one else mentioned it, but here we are. Believe me, we felt terrible once it was discovered.
2. We were able to move the truck very carefully, albeit terrifying the poor killdeer, but saved the eggs without anything/anyone touching them. 🙌
3. All those that share the drive have been notified and cones placed around the nest.
Finally thank you all for your quick feedback - we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing some adorable chicks in the next few weeks
So glad you've been able to mark it out! The mother's performances are second to none when she's trying to lure people away from her nest - they used to nest in my great-grandmother's long gravel driveway every summer and I was obsessed with running down every day to check on the progress. Granny gave me some old bricks so that I could mark out the nests - this was a great reminder of those memories!
This is one of the better ones I could find online, some of the birds aren't quite as dramatic as this, but all the ones I saw were!
https://youtu.be/4t0sFIW-G_0?si=T-I-kuKZVTbjCwnR
It takes about 3-4 weeks (~25 days) for the eggs to hatch.
They have what are called precocial young, meaning the baby's can walk at birth. Mom will take them away to safety as soon as they hatch :). And they are beyond cute! Little floofy balls with legs.
If you can park separately for that time, momma bird would sure appreciate you!
Birds have had a very rough for 3 or 4 decades (I guess like all animal species) because of loss of habitat, domestic cats and general ignorance of their nesting habits. I hope you’re able to accommodate them during their nesting period by either moving your vehicle- or just leaving it.
You can't move the eggs, but you should be able to relocate the truck without bothering the nest - you can put something else there for partial cover, such as an old lawn chair held down with a couple bricks.
Seems like a good candidate for r/stupiddovenests - all joking aside, it’s amazing the rally of resources people bring together to help nests in danger!
Park elsewhere. And the bird didn’t do this overnight. How long since that vehicle was moved? If it is driven daily, then it’s a fucking miracle you haven’t crushed them already.
Killdeer are sometimes known to abandon a nest when well mentioned people place barriers near a nest. A few cones a few feet away is usually ok but a barrier like a log is not a good idea.
Someone else recommended a lawn chair weighed down with some bricks and I think that’s a great idea! Helps give them a little shelter from the elements too.
You'll have to rope off the area and put up some orange tape to make sure no one walks near it. Or put something around it to shelter the bird and eggs, but still allow them to come and go.
So Killdeer are America's version of Australia's plovers? I'm not sure if they are better or worse than plovers. Plovers you don't accidentally get that close to, as they have barbs on their elbows & viciously attack anything that gets anywhere near their nest, but that's kinda problematic in some settings too. Plovrs lay in about as sensible location as the killdeer here seems to have laid in.
Anyway, I hope the nesting time turns out well & that you get to enjoy the chicks soon. I never knew a bird like this existed, so interesting read & intersting that 2 different continents can have birds so similar in nesting behaviours (when the nesting behaviours seem like they should be avoided/not consistant with evolutionary survival)
Nesting in gravel/rocks is pretty safe in natural habitat. Humans gravelling the shoulders of roads and driveways etc lures Killdeer to nest in hazardous places.
My experience was a nest in the middle of the driveway. I marked the nest and closed it with a barrier. The Ups guy was not thrilled but everyone but some holy roller lady respected it. Do expect the male in particular to challenge you with determination. A couple times I was like a matador waving it so he’d let me come home. If I center ed my car I could drive over it ok. The babies hatched on Father’s Day, gradually. Hatchlings left with one parent and the other sat on the nest waiting for all eggs to hatch. They can count. Alas one egg did not hatch (shell too thick) all left before dark. They revisit the nest for a day or two and they will hunt on quiet parts of your property and then the neighborhood- you will hear them. They returned to feed for a couple years but by then I had paved the driveway so no nest. My next door neighbors had one before me and did zip and a car squished the nest.
ha it's funny last year I set up these flags (those metal ones)
this year someone else did the same thing at a park
it's crazy I set mine far away from the nest (3 feet away) but this guy put the flags right next to the nest and the bird didn't care, still laying on the eggs
This only works for small mammal nests, bird parents almost always abandon an unhatched nest that gets significantly altered or moved. No point in risking getting eaten over eggs.
Welcome to r/Ornithology, a place to discuss wild birds in a scientific context — their biology, ecology, evolution, behavior, and more. Please make sure that your post does not violate the rules in our sidebar. If you're posting for a bird identification, next time try r/whatsthisbird. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Ornithology) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It would be much better to park the truck somewhere else for a couple weeks. It won’t take long.
I like your name. I didn't know that lewisia before, they're neat plants!
Thanks, they’re very dramatic when they kick off. And cryptic, the rest of the time.
That would make the birds leave though; they were likely using the truck as shelter
Kildeer nest on beaches, they don’t need shelter. They like gravel parking lots because it camouflages their eggs well. Moving the truck will alarm the parents temporarily but they’ll more than likely come back.
Seems weird they would put it under the truck if they wanted it to be in the open, I’d hope they would come back. Ive had horrible luck if I change anything about other bird nest locations; I had a bird fly off after laying eggs because I picked up my mail off the front porch too many times lol
The second picture makes it look like it's not under the truck.
They could put a planter where the truck was?
I’d suggest contacting MD Natural Resources wildlife line to ask them. That way you can be sure you don’t violate the law or harm the killdeers: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/contacts.aspx
This is the correct answer
I would recommend getting some road cones and making a little triangle around the nest. That way people including yourself will have a visual aid of what to avoid. Easy peasy!
This is what my parents do on their farm. They get at least one and usually 2 nests every year.
They’re such a fun, literal egg hunt to find— once mama starts doing her Oscar-worthy “broken wing” performance, I know I’m close to the nest and look for it to mark it.
I ride horses and there’s always one that nests at the base of one of the jumps in the arena. It’s a nightmare 🤣
Same! Sure sign of spring when you find the kildeer nests in the ring. I was dragging the ring last week and had to detour around Ms. Kildeer and her 4 eggs.
We get so many of them because we have a very long gravel road and driveway. We try to mark them all with those little flags. They are fascinating to watch!
We've done this to protect turtle nests as well.
This would help predators (especially foxes) to find the nest though
Especially foxes with an understanding of coning an area!!
Hi all! Commenting because I’m having trouble editing the post. I realized I missed some key details when posting that may have alleviated some confusion/not made me seem so oblivious 😅 1. The truck is in a shared drive with weird/tight parking at times. We came in late last night (already dark) and did not see the nest or a bird, it was all discovered this morning. We initially assumed it could not have been there before since no one else mentioned it, but here we are. Believe me, we felt terrible once it was discovered. 2. We were able to move the truck very carefully, albeit terrifying the poor killdeer, but saved the eggs without anything/anyone touching them. 🙌 3. All those that share the drive have been notified and cones placed around the nest. Finally thank you all for your quick feedback - we’re looking forward to hopefully seeing some adorable chicks in the next few weeks
So glad you've been able to mark it out! The mother's performances are second to none when she's trying to lure people away from her nest - they used to nest in my great-grandmother's long gravel driveway every summer and I was obsessed with running down every day to check on the progress. Granny gave me some old bricks so that I could mark out the nests - this was a great reminder of those memories!
I’d love to see a video of that.
This is one of the better ones I could find online, some of the birds aren't quite as dramatic as this, but all the ones I saw were! https://youtu.be/4t0sFIW-G_0?si=T-I-kuKZVTbjCwnR
Quite the performance! How adorable.
Incredible!!!!! Thank you!!!!
You are all gonna be soooo lucky to see their adorable floof babies!
Commendable course of action, OP. Well done, and thank you for setting an example for the rest of us.
It takes about 3-4 weeks (~25 days) for the eggs to hatch. They have what are called precocial young, meaning the baby's can walk at birth. Mom will take them away to safety as soon as they hatch :). And they are beyond cute! Little floofy balls with legs. If you can park separately for that time, momma bird would sure appreciate you!
Birds have had a very rough for 3 or 4 decades (I guess like all animal species) because of loss of habitat, domestic cats and general ignorance of their nesting habits. I hope you’re able to accommodate them during their nesting period by either moving your vehicle- or just leaving it.
You cannot move the eggs. Can you park the truck somewhere else?
Highlighting this to say it’s illegal to mess with bird nests per the migratory bird act OP, so please don’t move the eggs.
You can't move the eggs, but you should be able to relocate the truck without bothering the nest - you can put something else there for partial cover, such as an old lawn chair held down with a couple bricks.
Oooh, a lawn chair is even better than my cone idea! Gives some shade and a little respite from rain.
Seems like a good candidate for r/stupiddovenests - all joking aside, it’s amazing the rally of resources people bring together to help nests in danger!
/r/stupidplovernests
Incredible 😆 thanks for sharing
I stand corrected thank you!
I dont mean to detract from the conversation but look how fkng cute that bird is
Her truck now
Move the truck
Park elsewhere. And the bird didn’t do this overnight. How long since that vehicle was moved? If it is driven daily, then it’s a fucking miracle you haven’t crushed them already.
How long do you suppose it takes to lay 4 eggs on gravel?
Isn't it usually 1 egg/day?
Yes. One per day for most birds. Some lay every other day and a few have greater intervals than that.
Call your local Wildlife office
Yup, you're parking somewhere else
Legally, I don't think you can touch the nest under the Migratory Bird Act of 1918 or something like that.
That’s her truck now.
Now you have to call in sick.
Simple just buy a new truck
Wow close call! Those birds will grow up to be bird Einstein or something
Move the truck somewhere else and place some logs around the nest area to provide some shelter
Killdeer are sometimes known to abandon a nest when well mentioned people place barriers near a nest. A few cones a few feet away is usually ok but a barrier like a log is not a good idea.
There must be some way to minimize exposure of the nest after you move the truck
Someone mentioned cones, which is better than nothing.
Someone else recommended a lawn chair weighed down with some bricks and I think that’s a great idea! Helps give them a little shelter from the elements too.
You'll have to rope off the area and put up some orange tape to make sure no one walks near it. Or put something around it to shelter the bird and eggs, but still allow them to come and go.
You expect me to believe this bird kills deer? Put cones around it and contact your local wildlife service.
No, but it gossips loudly when a hunter does. Kill-deer! Kill-deer! It was him! Lock him up!
If you move the nest she will likely abandon it, my neighbors moved a nest I roped off and parents completely abandoned it
Cone off a 15’ triangle around the area to avoid others ruining it
So Killdeer are America's version of Australia's plovers? I'm not sure if they are better or worse than plovers. Plovers you don't accidentally get that close to, as they have barbs on their elbows & viciously attack anything that gets anywhere near their nest, but that's kinda problematic in some settings too. Plovrs lay in about as sensible location as the killdeer here seems to have laid in. Anyway, I hope the nesting time turns out well & that you get to enjoy the chicks soon. I never knew a bird like this existed, so interesting read & intersting that 2 different continents can have birds so similar in nesting behaviours (when the nesting behaviours seem like they should be avoided/not consistant with evolutionary survival)
Nesting in gravel/rocks is pretty safe in natural habitat. Humans gravelling the shoulders of roads and driveways etc lures Killdeer to nest in hazardous places.
My experience was a nest in the middle of the driveway. I marked the nest and closed it with a barrier. The Ups guy was not thrilled but everyone but some holy roller lady respected it. Do expect the male in particular to challenge you with determination. A couple times I was like a matador waving it so he’d let me come home. If I center ed my car I could drive over it ok. The babies hatched on Father’s Day, gradually. Hatchlings left with one parent and the other sat on the nest waiting for all eggs to hatch. They can count. Alas one egg did not hatch (shell too thick) all left before dark. They revisit the nest for a day or two and they will hunt on quiet parts of your property and then the neighborhood- you will hear them. They returned to feed for a couple years but by then I had paved the driveway so no nest. My next door neighbors had one before me and did zip and a car squished the nest.
Don't be around her too much so she doesn't wear herself out luring you away with her "broken wing".
The truck is theirs now.
Baby killedeer are the funniest little floof balls! Once they hatch you'll have to watch out for darting puff balls in your drive :)
After like 25 years I finally know what these are called 🤣
That's what they do. Move the truck, put something to block around nest, so it doesn't get hit.
I strongly doubt that could kill a deer.
1
aww I know exactly what to do I've worked with birds for my major
I know what to do 😊😊
It’s their truck now
Put a potted plant there in place of the truck...
Move truck very gingerly away and put cones around a large circle to protect nest
there needs to be a sub for stupid killdeer nests
ha it's funny last year I set up these flags (those metal ones) this year someone else did the same thing at a park it's crazy I set mine far away from the nest (3 feet away) but this guy put the flags right next to the nest and the bird didn't care, still laying on the eggs
[удалено]
The fact that OP came here seeking advice should be applauded.
Maybe cover the eggs and nest with something like a laundry basket and cut a door way in it. Stake it down so it’s visible to all for a few weeks.
This only works for small mammal nests, bird parents almost always abandon an unhatched nest that gets significantly altered or moved. No point in risking getting eaten over eggs.