How do you take care of a baby killdeer?

Answer 1

You have to feed a killdeer chick every 30 min. That's including night. They eat ants, crickets, seeds, and worms. They will sometimes eat different bugs such as small grasshoppers, caterpillars, etc.

WARNING! The chick will make a lot of noise and can run fast! They will do what they want and can be some trouble.

Answer 2

Killdeer are a precocial species, as oposed to an altricial species. Altricial birds hatch naked and completely rely on their parents to feed them in early life. Killdeer are precocial, meaning they hatch with downy feathers and are ready to stand once they are dry (like chickens and ducks).

Baby killdeer largely feed themselves as they forage with their parents, picking small invertebrates out of the ground and plants. When they venture near water, they may even snag aquatic invertebrates like mosquito larva out of shallows.

If you find a baby killdeer, odds are you'll hear the danger calls of its parents nearby. You may even see them land and pretend to have a broken wing to lure you away from their babies (a signature behavior of this species). If this is the case, do not touch the baby. Take a picture if you like, but then, walk away.

If you have rescued a baby killdeer from peril (cats, lawn-mowing services, cruel children, etc.), keep it warm in a box under a lamp and contact a local veterinarian. They will usually know the best rehabilitation center in your area to take injured or orphaned wildlife.

If you need to keep the killdeer for more than half a day before you can relinquish it, buy wax-worms, small crickets, and small meal worms from a pet store (NOT SUPERWORMS). Also make sure to provide a shallow dish of water for drinking.

The baby will likely be very stressed to be in a box separated from its parents, and may refuse to eat. Baby killdeer are veracious feeders in the wild, but stress can destroy their appetite. The longer you keep the bird, the more likely it will die of starvation/dehydration.

TL:DR - Don't touch the baby bird. If no choice, call a vet for nearest wildlife rehabilitation center.