Killdeer Reflecting by Craig Sterken Photography

Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development which had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts.

On April 22, 1970, University of Michigan students & environmental activists created Earth Day with the simple mission to activate the global environmental movement through education & connection. 56 years later we are seeing the health impacts, extreme weather, and resource wars organizers warned us of a half a century ago, but in many ways from the massive 180 the US has taken on green energy initiatives to the astonishing impacts of a spring snowmelt like none in memory, it feels like we haven’t moved at all. What do you think about how we are meeting the goals of Earth Day?

I doubt that this particular bird is thinking about our progress on environmental issues or the fact that as All About Birds shares, that the Killdeer is a shorebird you can see without going to the beach:

Killdeer are graceful plovers common to lawns, golf courses, athletic fields, and parking lots. These tawny birds run across the ground in spurts, stopping with a jolt every so often to check their progress, or to see if they’ve startled up any insect prey. Their voice, a far-carrying, excited kill-deer, is a common sound even after dark, often given in flight as the bird circles overhead on slender wings.

Killdeer get their name from the shrill, wailing kill-deer call they give so often. Eighteenth-century naturalists also noticed how noisy Killdeer are, giving them names such as the Chattering Plover and the Noisy Plover. The Killdeer’s broken-wing act leads predators away from a nest, but doesn’t keep cows or horses from stepping on eggs. To guard against large hoofed animals, the Killdeer uses a quite different display, fluffing itself up, displaying its tail over its head, and running at the beast to attempt to make it change its path.

Craig caught this amazing shot of a killdeer looking at its own reflection. View & purchase his photos of wildlife & birds & many other things on his website.