When I was a kid, my hometown was ~5-10 miles from one of the U.S. Great Lakes. I road my bike to the library one day, checked out some books, and set up outside in an old disused train station that had been converted into a sort of park. That parts relevant because of the piled up mound of rocks that made the track foundation meeting the grass.

As I read, I noticed a bird landed pretty close to me, I was thrilled to be watching them! But then I noticed it seemed to be limping, it's wing was broken. There was a vet not to far, so I went into my backpack for a sweatshirt, and figured I might be able to safely wrap him up, and take him to the vet, who probably knew the number of a wildlife rehabilitation center or something.

As I approached with my sweatshirt though, it took off! Must not have been that hurt after all... I kept reading. The bird showed up again, it must not have been able to fly to far! I tried again, again it took off... repeat for hours until eventually, having made very little progress on my book, I went home.

... It was around a decade later I learned about the "broken wing display". He was probably as confused as I was.

TIL that Kildeer is more than just a township in Illinois.

Infamous riding kildeer shot?

They are a type of Plover.

Are these the same as sandpipers? As a fellow Great Lakes resident.