The Florida Wildlife Encyclopedia by Scott Shupe

Author:Scott Shupe
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781510728912
Publisher: Skyhorse
Published: 2019-03-14T04:00:00+00:00

Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Summer

Winter

Size: 10.5 inches.

Abundance: Very rare in FL.

Migratory Status: Seasonal migrant. Mostly spring and fall.

Variation: Seasonal plumage variations (see above).

Habitat: Beaches are the preferred winter habitat. Inland migrants will use shorelines, mudflats, and bare fields.

Breeding: Nest is a scrape on tundra soil. 4 eggs are laid and young are highly precocial, able to walk immediately.

Natural History: Like the similar Black-bellied Plover, the American Golden Plover is a long distance traveler that nests in the Arctic and spends its winters in southeastern South America. Its epic migrations sometimes include extensive flights over vast expanses of open ocean. Many migrate through inland regions and they are known for their propensity to appear almost anywhere during migrations. Food items include some plant material (berries, seeds, foliage) as well as a wide variety of invertebrate prey. Like many shorebirds the American Golden Plover was hunted relentlessly during the days “market hunting” throughout the 1800s. Tens to perhaps hundreds of thousands were killed annually. Today, they are still legally hunted hunted in some South American countries. Habitat loss remains an ever present threat as is climate change.

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