The killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is a large plover found in the Americas. It was described and given its current scientific name in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae. Subspecies breed from southeastern Alaska and southern Canada to Mexico, in the West Indies, and in and around Peru. The non-breeding habitat includes coastal wetlands, beach habitats, and coastal fields. Although it is a shorebird, it does not necessarily nest close to water. Both parents incubate the young for 22 to 28 days on average. The killdeer primarily feeds on insects, although other invertebrates and seeds are eaten. It forages almost exclusively in fields, especially those with short vegetation and with cattle and standing water. It has a range of responses to predation by birds and mammals, including charging at intruders, which can be fatal for the killdeer. The species is declining but not yet threatened.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killdeer

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1895:

The libel trial instigated by Irish author Oscar Wilde began, eventually resulting in his arrest, trial and imprisonment on charges of gross indecency. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde

1946:

Imperial Japanese Army officer Masaharu Homma was executed for war crimes relating to the Bataan Death March. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaharu_Homma

1981:

The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, was unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_1

2009:

A gunman opened fire at an American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York, U.S., killing thirteen and wounding four before committing suicide. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binghamton_shootings

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

loggerhead: 1. (obsolete) A stupid person; a blockhead, a dolt. 2. A metal tool consisting of a long rod with a bulbous end that is made hot in a fire, then plunged into some material (such as pitch or a liquid) to melt or heat it. 3. (nautical) A post on a whaling boat used to secure the harpoon rope. 4. (botany, Midlands, dialectal) Often in plural: a thistle-like flowering plant of the genus Centaurea, particularly the common knapweed (Centaurea nigra). 5. (zoology) Used as the name of various animals with large heads. 6. The loggerhead duck or Falkland steamer duck (Tachyeres brachypterus; formerly Tachyeres cinereus), a species of steamer duck endemic to the Falkland Islands. 7. The loggerhead kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus), a bird endemic to the Caribbean and West Indies. 8. The rufous-tailed flycatcher (Myiarchus validus), a bird endemic to Jamaica. 9. The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus), a bird endemic to North America. 10. The loggerhead musk turtle (Sternotherus minor), a large-headed turtle endemic to the United States. 11. The loggerhead sea turtle or loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), an oceanic turtle found throughout the world. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loggerhead

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature. And can I do that alone? No. So there is a whole army of youth that can do it. So I suppose my mission is to reach as many of those young people as I can through my own efforts.   --Jane Goodall https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall