American Golden-Plover Identification, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Breeding male

Stocky, medium-sized shorebird with a short bill. Breeding males have a white crown stripe that extends down the side of the neck. Underparts are black; upperparts are mottled gold, white, and black.

Breeding female

Stocky shorebird with a short, relatively thick bill. Breeding females look like males, but are paler overall with brown or whitish cheeks.

Breeding adult

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.

Juvenile

Juveniles are grayish brown overall with a pale eyebrow stripe. The head looks small, almost dovelike. The underparts are barred grayish-brown. Note long wings that extend beyond the tail.