You found a nest. Here's what to do.

First: don't move it.

Killdeer build their nests on the ground for a reason - and they will not follow a relocated nest. Moving the eggs, even a few feet, almost always causes the parents to abandon them. Under federal law, knowingly disturbing an active nest is "take." The kindest, most legal thing you can do is leave the nest exactly where you found it.

Confirm it's a Killdeer nest

Look for these markers, ideally from at least 20 feet away:

• A shallow scrape in gravel, mulch, bare dirt, or short turf
• 3 to 5 cryptic eggs - buff or tan, blotched with dark brown and black, sized roughly like a small chicken egg
• Small pebbles, wood chips, or bits of shell arranged around the scrape (the parents add them)
• A nearby adult: long legs, two black bands across a white chest, a sharp piercing call
• A bird feigning a broken wing if you get too close - the classic Killdeer distraction display

Mark the area, don't approach

Stake out a 15-foot radius around the nest with stakes, flags, lawn chairs, or upended buckets. That's your no-go zone until the chicks leave. View the nest from a window or from the property line - not from within the buffer. The parents need to relax enough to keep incubating.

Talk to your landscapers

If you have a lawn service, tell them before their next visit. Print and hand them the Landscaper One-Pager on this site. Walk the property with them once so they know exactly where the buffer is. Most crews are happy to skip a small area for a few weeks once they understand why.

Talk to your HOA

If your HOA has a turf-length covenant or a "tidy yard" rule, send them a short note. Suggested script:

Hello - we have an active ground nest of a federally protected migratory shorebird (Killdeer) in our yard. Under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. § 703), we are prohibited from disturbing it, and so is any contractor we hire. We expect the chicks to leave the area in roughly 50 days. To minimize disruption to neighbors, we've posted a small interpretive sign explaining the situation. We appreciate your understanding and will restore normal lawn care as soon as the family has moved on.

Offer the sign and a printed copy of this page. Most HOA boards back down once federal law is in the conversation.

Migratory Bird Treaty Act · 16 U.S.C. § 703

What to expect next

• Incubation: 24 to 28 days. Both parents share sitting duty.
• Hatching: Chicks are precocial - eyes open, fluffy, walking within hours.
• Brood-rearing: The chicks leave the nest cup almost immediately and follow the parents around the yard for 3 to 4 weeks.
• Fledging: Around day 25-31 after hatching, chicks make their first flights.
• Departure: The whole family is typically gone from the immediate yard within ~50 days from egg-laying.

Failure happens

Killdeer nests fail often - to raccoons, crows, snakes, storms, and the occasional roaming dog. If the eggs disappear, don't tidy up. Leave the scrape and the pebbles where they are. Killdeer frequently re-nest in the same area, sometimes within days. Removing the scrape can discourage a second attempt.

DO and DON'T