American Golden-Plovers All Over: Bird Finder for September 4

September 4, 2014

American Golden-Plover
Pluvialis dominica

What it looks like: American Golden-Plovers get their name from the golden hue of their speckled back feathers. Right now, the birds are molting into their non-breeding (alternate) plumage, so their bold, black throat and belly feathers are interspersed with more brown feathers, making for a more barred appearance. But knowing their silhouette is an important identifier, as shorebirds are often at a distance and can be backlit by the sun. American Golden-Plovers have a stocky appearance, with fairly long black legs for a plover, a large and rounded head, short neck and short black bill with which they forage on the ground for insects and other invertebrates.

Where to find it: This fairly large shorebird has been seen at our Milford Point Coastal Center; Rocky Hill Meadows (just north of the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry Landing); Rentschler Field, in East Hartford; and Sandy Point, in West Haven in recent days.

Not all shorebirds live at the shore and this is one of a few plovers that spend most of its time in meadows and mudflats, rather than the shore itself. Keep your eyes out for these birds in pastures and fields, but note that they are only seen in Connecticut during migration, as they nest in the Arctic tundra and spend their non-breeding season in Central and South America.

What if the bird isn’t there: This is a terrific time of year for shorebirds. Along with the American Golden-Plovers, other beautiful and interesting species seen at the same locations include Buff-breasted Sandpipers (lovingly called “buffies” by birders), Red Knots, Roseate Terns, Wilson’s Phalarope and White-rumped Sandpiper.

Conservation status: Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, but like most shorebirds, American Golden Plovers are vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation.

This Connecticut Audubon Society Bird Finder was written by Michelle Eckman, director of education, and edited by Tom Andersen.

Photo by Claudio Timm, CarolinaBirds.org