The Drama of a Broken Wing
If you’ve ever walked near a grassy field and spotted a bird flopping along the ground, calling out and dragging a wing as if injured, you may have witnessed one of nature’s most remarkable performances. This is the killdeer’s broken-wing act— a brilliant bluff designed to lead predators away from their vulnerable nest on the ground. I recently captured this photo of a killdeer mid-drama, performing the heroic distraction dance to protect her speckled eggs, tucked nearby. It’s a powerful image, and it inspired a scene in my current picture book manuscript, where a young characters discovers the clever ways wildlife parent birds protect their young. Nature is full of stories. This one just might find its way to a bookshelf near you! For more information on killdeer birds: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/overview
