killdeer

American  

[kil-deer] / ˈkɪlˌdɪər /

noun

1. an American plover, Charadrius vociferus, having two black bands around the upper breast.

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killdeer British  

/ ˈkɪlˌdɪə /

noun

1. a large brown-and-white North American plover, Charadrius vociferus, with two black breast bands and a noisy cry

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Etymology

Origin of killdeer

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35; imitative

Example Sentences

During a birdwatching stroll last spring, John Bates spotted a newly hatched killdeer chick.

From Washington Post • May 17, 2022

This connection of nature to architecture, of birds to buildings, forged in earnest once Wittman asked whether the Troths had “a few pictures” of the killdeer, Pat says.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2019

Those killdeer that the airport works so hard to harass likely wouldn’t be there in the first place if it weren’t for humans.

From Washington Times • May 14, 2016

There were plenty of species at street level as well: blue jays, cardinals, American crows, Eastern phoebes, killdeer, loggerhead shrike, kestrel falcons, bronzed cowbirds and, rarest of all, an open-ground woodpecker.

From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2012

He trained his calf, Fawn, to come when he whistled like a killdeer.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson