Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyCharadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
- GenusCharadrius (Holarctic Ringed Plovers and Allies)
- SpeciesCharadrius vociferus (Killdeer)
The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover found in the Americas. Its shrill, two-syllable call is often heard, sounding like "kill deer". It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. Three subspecies are described. Its upperparts are mostly brown with rufous fringes, the head has patches of white and black, and two black bands cross the breast. The belly and the rest of the breast are white. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Killdeer sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 103 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Yosemite National Park
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
California Gull
Larus californicus
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Wilson's Phalarope
Phalaropus tricolor
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Red-necked Phalarope
Phalaropus lobatus
Western Sandpiper
Calidris mauri
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Killdeer in Yosemite National Park?
About 3% of wildlife watchers report a Killdeer sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 103 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Killdeer in Yosemite National Park?
May has the highest sighting rate for Killdeer in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.