What does the Killdeer sound like at night?

The Killdeer is more noted for calls than for any melodious song. Its signature sound is a loud, piercing two-syllable call that sounds like "kill-deer!" often given in series. This ringing, high-pitched call serves as both a contact call and a territorial proclamation. A rapid, excited "killdeer killdeer killdeer" may be heard when the bird is especially agitated. (Killdeer have no complex musical song—these ringing calls are their primary vocalizations.)

“Loud kill-deer! kill-deer! call”

Birders often file this one under Main Call.

Most often in the hours after dusk, and especially on migration nights in spring and late summer.

Killdeer can breed quite early; in some regions nesting begins in late winter or early spring. They often raise two broods per year. Notably active at dusk and after dark – their loud calls are commonly heard at night as they fly circles overhead. This nocturnal activity is partly why one can hear Killdeer calling even when it's too dark to see them. During breeding, they perform distraction displays (like the famous broken-wing act) to lead predators away from nests. In non-breeding seasons, they gather in loose flocks on good feeding grounds such as mudflats.

A shrill, insistent kill-DEER from an empty parking lot or field at midnight. Killdeer are active after dark as well as by day, and they migrate at night, so the call carries down from birds you will never see.