The very long primaries, gold-spangled upperparts, black underparts, and broad white stripe on the head and neck help to identify this shorebird in breeding plumage. The white patch does not extend below the chest, and the flanks and undertail are black, which helps to rule out other species of golden-plovers. In breeding plumage, adult males like this are crisply marked with even black on the face.
A teardrop-shaped shorebird with a large head, slim, short bill, and long legs. In breeding plumage, adult females have pale-mottled faces, giving them a slightly messy look compared to the crisp males.
Common call is a 2- or 3-parted whistle. Like some other plovers, often pauses while running to bob quickly up and back down again.
The large eye and bulky head combine to create a gentle expression. Fall juveniles appear scaly because of their complete set of even-aged, fresh feathers. Four primaries extend beyond the gold-spangled tertials at rest, imparting a longer primary projection to the folded wing than is found on Pacific Golden-Plover or Black-bellied Plover.
When viewed head-on, these slim plovers can appear quite plump, but note the long legs and slim bill. Juveniles show a dark cap that contrasts strongly with a pale eyebrow.
The underside of the wing is plain gray, lacking the black "wingpits" shown by Black-bellied Plover.
Golden-plovers have long, pointed wings and blunt tails. The rump and tail blend in with the back, distinguishing this from the pale-tailed Black-bellied Plover. Also, note the extended legs and feet that fall short of the tip of the tail.
Nonbreeding birds are similar to juveniles but show drabber upperparts with less crisp feather edging. The long-winged look created by four primaries extending beyond the tertials on the folded wing helps to rule out Black-bellied Plover and other golden-plover species.
Golden-plovers fly quickly in wheeling, well-coordinated flocks. Note the slim, pointed wings and pale gray underwings.
The erect posture, teardrop-shaped body, blocky head, and slim bill and long legs combine to create the golden-plover “look.” Adults molt into breeding plumage during their marathon spring migration. The black-and-white underparts will become primarily black by the time these birds arrive on their subarctic and arctic breeding grounds.
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A medium-sized shorebird with a rather large head, slim neck, long, pointed wings, and relatively long legs. The bill is short, slender, and straight.
Larger than a Killdeer, slightly smaller than a Black-bellied Plover.
between robin and crowPlovers and Lapwings(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Charadriidae)
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