SPCA cares for killdeer mistakenly taken from nest

The SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is caring for two young killdeer, after their eggs were mistakenly taken from their nest.

Students found the eggs and hatched them in an incubator, before bringing them to the SPCA, according to a press release Tuesday. However, the wildlife center said the eggs were likely taken out of their natural habitat and warns against touching any wild eggs.

“The SPCA Wildlife Center recommends not taking wild eggs. Instead, please contact us with photos or a video so we can provide advice,” read the press statement. “Often eggs that appear abandoned are being cared for by attentive parents scared away by human presence.”

Killdeer are large plovers found in the Americans and live near coastal wetlands, beach habitats and coastal fields but do not always nest close to water.

In fact, the SPCA says Killdeer parents don’t typically build nests, instead they lay their eggs in a small scrape on the ground, usually decorated with pieces of shells or rocks.

Once the eggs hatched, the newborn birds were brought to the SPCA Wildlife Center for care. The SPCA cared for them indoors with a feather duster acting as a surrogate parent. The young killdeer are now two weeks old and in an outdoor aviary.

“Once they are old enough we will release them to killdeer habitat near the Salinas river,” the statement read.

The SPCA reports that killdeer are fairly uncommon in their Wildlife Center, and they have rescued 30 since 2013, less than three a year.

To report a wild animal in need of rescue call 831-264-5427.