Not just the falcons: A killdeer’s springtime comeback near Aggie Square
(SACRAMENTO)
Last spring, she won over employees simply by doing what killdeer have done for generations: choosing an unlikely, gravelly patch of ground and calling it home.
This year, the parking lot celebrity at UC Davis Health is back.
A killdeer bird sits on three eggs in the contractor's lot near Aggie Square.
Near Aggie Square, a familiar killdeer mother has once again made a nest in the contractor's parking lot—this time laying three speckled eggs close to where she nested last year. If that sounds familiar, it should.
In spring 2025, the small shorebird caught campus attention when she built a nest in Lot 30 near Aggie Square, prompting Parking and Transportation Services staff to surround the area with bright orange cones to protect her and her four eggs from passing cars and curious pedestrians. Employees eagerly watched her progress, proving that even in a health system known for famous falcons, there’s plenty of room in our hearts for a resilient ground-nesting bird.
Killdeer are known for returning to the same general areas year after year, favoring open, rocky ground that helps camouflage their eggs. Parking lots, it turns out, fit the bill—though they come with their own risks. As before, teams are keeping an eye out to help ensure the nest remains undisturbed while nature takes its course.
For employees entering and leaving near Aggie Square, the advice stays simple: slow down, look down, and give this determined mom—and her three eggs—a little extra space.
After all, not every health system can claim a springtime tradition that combines world-class care with a wild bird choosing to raise her family right alongside us. The chicks are expected to hatch by the end of April.
