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.
Starlings are remarkable mimics.
The bill is extraordinarily long for a typical starling. I estimate that the bill on this particular bird is nearly twice the length of a normal starling. This long-billed starling was photographed in eastern Massachusetts this winter. One of the joys of watching even the most common birds is observing the variation among individuals. Keep your eyes and ears open for the first Eastern Phoebes of the year.