When a potential predator approaches a nest or young chicks, one of the parents will vocalize loudly and hold one of its wings down as if it were broken. This artifice lures the predator away from the nest for what the predator thinks is an easy meal. Peter grew up in Waterville, the son of Joan Sanzenbacher. The Breeding Bird Survey trends indicated a significant decline in breeding Killdeer across North America. Areas that led this decline were Canada, the western United States and some southeastern states.
Populations seem steady in Maine.
Over the period 1986-1996, declines of Killdeer were much more widespread. The Christmas Bird Count data show similar results to the Breeding Bird Survey data. The declines are on a more local scale, however. The analysis is made possible by the thousands of observers who contribute data to Christmas Bird Counts and Breeding Bird Surveys. Austin tracked down the source of the call and it turned out to be a European Starling doing a perfect imitation of a Killdeer.