My sweet killdeer finally hatched her eggs yesterday morning. Although she had grown used to me in the last month, I could tell she and the male were a nervous wreck squalking and doing the wing drag. I went inside and came back to area about an hour later. No babies and a lot of crying and running up and down driveway. I noticed a small flock of starlings overhead so thought they might have killed babies. But all day long the male and female were running around and trying to lead me away from certain areas. Do you think maybe they hid the babies that soon after hatching……about an hour? It tears me up to think starlings might have killed them that fast.
The distress and distraction displays you were observing were signs that the fledgling chicks were nearby and the parents were frantically trying to lure you away from where they were foraging or resting.
When Killdeer hatch they are precocial which means they can walk and run soon after hatching. All the eggs usually hatch within 8 hours of each other. According to our Birds of the World account chicks are <> and <<>
The chicks are not meant to stay at or near the nest after hatching. So as soon at they are dry the parents lead them away to feeding areas where the chicks feed themselves. The parent does not feed them, but protects them.
If the parent or parents was doing those distressed, distraction displays it would have been because it was trying to lead you away from its chicks so you wouldn't step on them (they are very cryptically colored) or harm them. Its important that the parents do this at the hatchling stage as nothing that moves should be trusted by them if you know what I mean. Even if you think they got used to you, its in their best interest to perceive you as danger.
The chicks depend on their parents for protection until they can fly. << Ability To Get Around, Feed, And Care For Self Ability to fly is attained by 20 (Demaree 1975) to 31 (Lenington 1980) d of age. Schardien (Schardien 1981) found that some chicks in Mississippi attained ability to fly by age 30 d, whereas others did not. Behavior After Independence Chicks remain in close association with parents and siblings at least until they can fly. Schardien (Schardien 1981) observed marked chicks with their parents regularly until age 39 d, and 1 instance of a chick foraging with its parents at age 81 d.>>
Our Premium Birds of the World website has much information about the various ways that Killdeer parents try to distract humans and other animals away from its chicks:
Here is just a tidbit but can give you some insight as to why they were responding to you in that manner once the chicks hit the fledgling stage and were no longer eggs. << Injury-Feigning Display. Figure 3 . Performed by either sex, usually by only 1 member of pair at a time. If both members of pair are present, one usually gives alarm calls from a distance. In response to potential predator, bird crouches, head low, breast-bands minimally showing, wings drooping and partially extended, sometimes flapping to beat against the ground, tail fanned and dragging the ground to display rufous rump-patch. Displaying bird's body is usually oriented away from potential predator, but its head is turned to the side such that the bird looks over its shoulder at potential predator. Tail may be twisted to one side to maximize exposure of rufous to potential predator. Nol (Nol 1980) illustrates this and other displays, and Dawson (Dawson 1903: 486) gives a particularly outstanding description of Injury-Feigning Display, except for initial dragging of partially spread wings and tail on the ground while leaning to one side or the other and watching over the shoulder. His description attributes certain behaviors to male or female; our studies of marked birds indicate that either sex may perform any of these actions. Dawson correctly describes interplay of pair members and other nearby Killdeer: “First she [or he] . . . flounders . . . across the ground, screaming. . . . But if you . . . follow, the bird gradually recovers . . . to patter along ahead . . . with . . . celerity. The [mate] is no indifferent spectator. He comes as near as he dares, and shrieks, ‘ Dear, dear, dear, dear, dear,' . . . [N]eighbors add their frenzy to the din. . . . If you are willing to quit the place[,] a bevy of [Killdeer] . . . will pilot you out of bounds. One will patter ahead of you with breast pushed forward and legs incredibly nimble, only to pull up presently with a jerk and a compensatory bob [as if] to ask if you are following. [O]thers describe a great half-circle about you with graceful wing but unceasing stridor. . . . The birds . . . lead you off by alternate flights and sprints and . . . indulge from time to time in a low rapid titter, teeeee-t .”>>
You posted this awhile back and hopefully by now the chicks can fly or will fly soon.
If you see more nests this year or in future years now you will be prepared to give them a wide girth especially if you notice any signs of distress in the parents. Thanks for sharing your observations of their distress behavior so we could help you figure out what was happening. If you have more detailed questions email us at birdacademy@birds.cornell.edu