Species
American golden-plover
Pluvialis dominica
A long-distance traveller that crosses the Atlantic in a single flight, passing through Georgia's fields in spring.
Photo brian stahls (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY-NC 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- About 24 to 28 cm long
- Weight
- About 120 to 190 g
- Habitat
- Short-grass fields, turf farms, airports and mudflats
- Diet
- Insects, worms, seeds and berries
- In Georgia
- An uncommon migrant, mostly in March and April
- Voice
- A clear "queedle"
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Slim plover with a small bill; in breeding plumage black below with a white stripe down the neck and gold-spangled back
- Told apart from
- Black-bellied plover, which is larger with a thick bill and black patches under the wing
- Where to look
- Turf farms and short-grass fields after rain in spring
Behaviour
American golden-plovers make a loop migration: in autumn many fly over the Atlantic from Canada directly to South America, and in spring they return north through the middle of the continent.
Why they matter
Golden-plovers were once shot in enormous numbers, and their populations have never fully recovered. Their migration, crossing thousands of kilometres of ocean without stopping, is one of the great endurance feats of the bird world.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Nest — A shallow scrape on tundra
Eggs — Usually four
Incubation — About 26 days
Chicks — Leave the nest within a day
Flight — At about three to four weeks
Lifespan — Several years
Living around people
- Turf farms and short-grass fields are important stopovers; pesticides applied there reduce their food.
Misconceptions
- All plovers are beach birds. American golden-plovers feed mostly in fields.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | In South America | In South America | Migrants passing through | Migrants passing through | Nesting in the Arctic | Nesting | Chicks | Adults begin migration | Migrating over the Atlantic | Arriving in South America | In South America | In South America |
Where it lives
Recorded in 61 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
United States
- Alabamapassing through
- Alaskabreeding
- Arkansaspassing through
- Coloradopassing through
- Connecticutpassing through
- Delawarepassing through
- Georgiain winter
- Illinoispassing through
- Indianapassing through
- Iowapassing through
- Kansaspassing through
- Kentuckypassing through
- Louisianapassing through
- Mainepassing through
- Marylandpassing through
- Massachusettspassing through
- Michiganpassing through
- Minnesotapassing through
- Mississippipassing through
- Missouripassing through
- Montanapassing through
- Nebraskapassing through
- New Hampshirepassing through
- New Jerseypassing through
- New Yorkpassing through
- North Carolinapassing through
- North Dakotapassing through
- Ohiopassing through
- Oklahomapassing through
- Pennsylvaniapassing through
- Rhode Islandpassing through
- South Carolinapassing through
- South Dakotapassing through
- Tennesseepassing through
- Texaspassing through
- Utahpassing through
- Vermontpassing through
- Virginiapassing through
- Wisconsinpassing through
Canada
- Albertapassing through
- British Columbiapassing through
- Manitobabreeding
- New Brunswickpassing through
- Newfoundland and Labradorpassing through
- Northwest Territoriesbreeding
- Nova Scotiapassing through
- Nunavutbreeding
- Ontariopassing through
- Prince Edward Islandpassing through
- Quebecpassing through
- Saskatchewanpassing through
- Yukonbreeding
If you found one
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