Protected killdeer bird nest holds up major music festival

A killdeer bird, known for its distinctive “kill deer” cry, is holding up a major music festival in Canada. While not endangered, the killdeer is a protected species, with a new mother killdeer and her nest discovered directly where the main stage will go for Bluesfest in Ottawa, one of Canada’s biggest music festivals.

Unlike what we expect of most birds, Killdeer spend a lot of their time on the ground, where they also build their nests, instead of in trees. Their protected status meant the festival organizers had to seek permission from a government agency to have the bird nest safely moved. The new mom quickly became a celeb on social media, under the hashtag #bluesnest. While the music fans waited, the organizers hoped the eggs would hatch soon, but it wasn’t the case.

This issue was that moving a nest could cause the mom to abandon her eggs. To solve this, the nest was moved by bird sanctuary staff a couple feet at a time, letting the parents return to it each time. Taking from around 8am to 5pm, they moved it over 80 feet to a safe location. The expecting parents and their eggs are now safe and feeling at home in an artificial nest. The concert is expected to start as planned on July 5th.