Killdeers are not common on Plymouth Beach, but one or two pairs may nest on the beach each year. Distinguished from the smaller and paler Piping Plover by its double neck ring and loud call, the Killdeer avoids the dry, sandy beach for open cobble and muddy shores. Away from the beach, Killdeers prefer open short-grass fields. Like Piping Plovers, Killdeers will feign a broken wing to distract predators, pets, and people approaching their nests or young. |