Photograph by Paul Burnett.
Photography contest, finalist.
Charadrius vociferus -- killdeer standing her ground, protecting her eggs from a vicious photographer three feet away.
5 Comments
Henry J · 5 September 2016
Paparazzi?
(or would that be mamarazzi in this case?)
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad · 5 September 2016
Not only are they vociferous, they are pretty good actors as well. The parents can put on a pretty good show of being physically crippled by a wound; a tempting, easy catch for a predator.
They lure the predator farther and farther away from the nest, staying just within a tempting distance, and when far from the nest they take off and land as though they have returned to the nest; but they havenât. By then, the predator has lost track of where the nest might be.
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad · 6 September 2016
I don't think it's clear that this is the mom. Both males and females incubate, and they don't differ much in appearance, although it's said that females may have more brown on their face than males during breeding season (more brown than what?).
The only lapwing I'm familiar with is Vanellus vanellus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_lapwing), a reasonably common breeder in the Netherlands, with B/W only plumage; only chicks are brown. Male and female adults look identical to me. Both perform the cripple bird routine.
5 Comments
Henry J · 5 September 2016
Paparazzi?
(or would that be mamarazzi in this case?)
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad · 5 September 2016
I'll peck your leg off if you come any closer!
Glen Davidson
Mike Elzinga · 5 September 2016
Not only are they vociferous, they are pretty good actors as well. The parents can put on a pretty good show of being physically crippled by a wound; a tempting, easy catch for a predator.
They lure the predator farther and farther away from the nest, staying just within a tempting distance, and when far from the nest they take off and land as though they have returned to the nest; but they havenât. By then, the predator has lost track of where the nest might be.
https://me.yahoo.com/a/JxVN0eQFqtmgoY7wC1cZM44ET_iAanxHQmLgYgX_Zhn8#57cad · 6 September 2016
I don't think it's clear that this is the mom. Both males and females incubate, and they don't differ much in appearance, although it's said that females may have more brown on their face than males during breeding season (more brown than what?).
Glen Davidson
Henry Skinner · 9 September 2016
The only lapwing I'm familiar with is Vanellus vanellus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_lapwing), a reasonably common breeder in the Netherlands, with B/W only plumage; only chicks are brown. Male and female adults look identical to me. Both perform the cripple bird routine.