Newborn killdeer babies take their first adorably clumsy steps from the nest

Killdeer are beautiful birds found throughout North America. Many people have seen them running in meadows, grass lawns, and even on gravel driveways. Their shrill cries are unmistakable and their feigned broken wing act is something most of us have witnessed at one time or another. Devoted parents, they will risk themselves to lure predators from their precious eggs or babies. They provide one of the most dramatic acting efforts in all of nature.
These babies have just entered the world a few hours before these images were captured. The parents dutifully kept their eggs warm for almost 4 weeks. Suddenly, the eggs hatched and the babies got their first glimpse of the meadow and the blue sky over them.
Instinctively, they seem to know that danger lurks in the grass and even in the skies. They stay hidden under their mother or father for their first day, venturing out briefly to explore. One shriek from the adults and the babies will squat quickly in the long grass and tuck their head in. They will remain completely motionless until the parent signals with a chirp that the danger has passed.
The babies resemble tiny pompoms on stilts as they clumsily make their way through the vegetation, falling adorably as they walk. Few things are as cute as newborn killdeer chicks.