{"id":51306,"date":"2018-03-19T05:55:38","date_gmt":"2018-03-19T11:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=51306"},"modified":"2025-05-24T15:55:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-24T20:55:53","slug":"killdeer-calling-in-flight-at-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/19\/killdeer-calling-in-flight-at-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Killdeer Calling in Flight at Night"},"content":{"rendered":"

Killdeer can be found in northern Utah all year long, and it isn’t unusual to see flocks of them during the winter.<\/p>\n

\"SpringtimeSpringtime Killdeer on Antelope Island – Nikon D300, f10, 1\/800, ISO 640, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light (2012)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

However, some of these plovers may head to warmer climates when it gets really cold and then migrate back here in the spring. Lately, I’ve seen more Killdeer than I have all winter, and some of these birds may be heading to their breeding grounds even further north than I am.<\/p>\n

A few nights ago, I opened the door to check out the cloud cover and weather conditions before going to bed. For the first time since I moved to Utah, I heard a flock of calling Killdeer flying past in the pitch-black night. I couldn’t help but laugh because it seemed so odd to hear them calling out in the dark. To my ears, there seemed to be quite a few of the birds flying past.<\/p>\n

You can listen to a Killdeer calling in flight here<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

I did some research and found that they do migrate during the night<\/span><\/a> as well as during day. So perhaps the birds I heard were winging their way north and were attracted by our city lights. I enjoyed hearing the Killdeer flying past after dark, even though I couldn’t see or photograph them.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Killdeer photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few nights ago I opened the door to check out the cloud cover and weather conditions before going to bed and for the first time since I moved to Utah I heard a flock of calling Killdeer flying past in the pitch black night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":146840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[511,27,1022,267,709,26],"tags":[4004,4072,4144,11978,4052,270,530,6414,5064,2208,6415,274,4307],"class_list":["post-51306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-antelope-island-state-park","category-avian","category-davis-county-utah","category-killdeer","category-salt-lake-county-utah","category-utah","tag-adult","tag-calling","tag-charadrius-vociferus","tag-desert-island","tag-flight","tag-killdeer","tag-migration","tag-night","tag-pink-wildflowers","tag-redstem-filaree","tag-shorebird-migration","tag-shorebirds-2","tag-wildflowers"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-spring-mia-mcpherson-3770.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-dlw","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2447,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2011\/06\/04\/killdeer-and-willets-territorial-disputes\/","url_meta":{"origin":51306,"position":0},"title":"Killdeer and Willets – Territorial Disputes","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 4, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the habits I have developed after becoming a serious bird photographer is observing and learning about bird behavior and the habitats","rel":"","context":"In "Antelope Island State Park"","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Killdeer near nest on Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-adult-utah-mia-mcpherson-9832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-adult-utah-mia-mcpherson-9832.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/killdeer-spring-refuge-mia-mcpherson-5378.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/killdeer-spring-refuge-mia-mcpherson-5378.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/killdeer-spring-refuge-mia-mcpherson-5378.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/killdeer-spring-refuge-mia-mcpherson-5378.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4900,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/05\/02\/killdeer-wash-fluff-and-dry\/","url_meta":{"origin":51306,"position":3},"title":"Killdeer – Wash, Fluff and Dry","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week I photographed a Killdeer bathing at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area in Davis County, Utah.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Killdeer cleaning up in a puddle, Farmington Bay WMA, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-bathing-8342-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-bathing-8342-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-bathing-8342-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/killdeer-bathing-8342-mia-mcpherson.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 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2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday morning I drove up to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge where the second bird that I photographed was a young Killdeer in the early light of dawn.","rel":"","context":"In "Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge"","block_context":{"text":"Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/bear-river-migratory-bird-refuge\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Killdeer just after dawn, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/killdeer-young-refuge-mia-mcpherson-3508.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/killdeer-young-refuge-mia-mcpherson-3508.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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