American Golden-Plover

(Pluvialis dominica) (AMGP)

Photographic Identification Guide

American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica) (AMGP) nests in arctic Canada and Alaska and winters in South America. In the late nineteenth century, American Golden-Plover was considered one of the most easily hunted shorebirds and vast numbers were shot by market gunners. As a result, this bird’s population was reduced sharply and has recovered slowly over the past century since protective laws for migratory birds were enacted.

The migration pattern of AMGP takes most individuals through central North America in spring and far offshore over the Atlantic Ocean in fall, but there are many fall records for the species in Massachusetts and New England. It displays extremely varied plumages at different seasons, closely resembling Black-bellied Plover (BBPL).

In this guide, we cover the features, in order of importance, to look for on these birds. When discussing plumages, we use the terms winter, spring, and summer to refer to northern hemisphere seasons. Because some of these birds spend parts of the year in the northern and southern hemispheres, the correct technical terms for the plumage stages—basic and alternate—help avoid the confusion of seasonal terminology.

visual gallery

species account

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Fig. 1. American Golden-Plover. Winter (basic) plumage. Note dark cap. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. FL. 15 January 2023.
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Fig. 2. American Golden-Plover. Winter (basic) beginning molt to spring (alternate) plumage. Rio Lluta, Chile. 9 May 2022.
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Fig. 3. American Golden-Plover. Back (mantle) and underparts beginning to acquire spring (alternate) plumage. Lima, Peru. 30 May 2022.
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Fig. 4. American Golden-Plovers. Individuals in different stages of molt to spring (alternate) plumage. Champaigne, IL. 3 May 2015.
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Fig. 5. American Golden-Plover. Spring (alternate) individual with some pale patches on otherwise all-black underparts. Champaign, IL. 3 May 2015.
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Fig. 6. American Golden-Plover. Spring (alternate) plumage. Black underparts extend all the way under the tail. Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, AK. 16 June 2016.
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Fig. 7. American Golden-Plovers. Alternate plumaged birds in a variety of molting plumages in late summer. Niagara, Ontario, Canada. 4 September 2023.
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Fig. 8. American Golden-Plover. Molting and worn summer (alternate) plumage. Pleasure Bay, South Boston, MA. 23 September 2021.
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Fig. 9. American Golden-Plover juvenile. Note checkered/barred pattern on breast and belly. Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, MA. 18 September 2018.
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Fig. 10. American Golden-Plover in flight. Upperparts mostly dusky. Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, MA. 19 September 2016.
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Fig. 11. American Golden-Plover. In flight, in bright light, appears brownish-gray overall. Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Newburyport, MA. 19 September 2022.
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Fig. 12. American Golden-Plover. Gray underwings, best seen in flight, distinguish this species from other Pluvialis plovers. Parker River National Wildlife Sanctuary. 19 September 2022.
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Fig. 13. Comparison of Black-bellied Plover and American Golden-Plover, both in juvenile plumage. Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, MA; 20 October 2016.
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Fig.14. Comparison in flight: note black axillars (wingpits) and white underwings on Black-bellied Plover (BBPL), gray underwings on American Golden-Plover (AMGP). Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, MA. 25 September 2017.
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Fig.15. Comparison of American Golden-Plovers and Black-bellied Plover in juvenile plumage. Note grayer back (mantle) of Blackbelly. Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, MA. 25 September 2017.
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Fig. 16. Comparison of American Golden-Plover and Black-bellied Plover. Note bull neck and heavy bill of Blackbelly. Fishermans Bend, Winthrop, MA. 18 September 2021.
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Fig. 17. Comparison of American Golden-Plover and European Golden-Plover. Note subtle difference in primary tip projection between the two species. AMGP Winthrop Beach, Winthrop, MA, 18 September 2016. EUGP Duxbury Beach, Duxbury, MA, 14 April 2021.

The photos in this species account are arranged in this order:

Basic: winter plumage, roughly November to March.

AMGP acquires winter (basic) plumage toward the end of the calendar year, usually when it approaches or arrives at its winter range; see Fig. 1.

Alternate: first spring and summer after hatch year or adult breeding plumage, March to October.

Beginning in March, winter (basic) feathers on AMGP are gradually replaced by spring (alternate) feathers; see Fig. 6. Most alternate feathers last until fall of the same year but they display wear by July or August; see Fig. 8. The molt to full winter (basic) plumage continues in October.

Juvenile: young birds, recently hatched, July to October.

See Fig. 9 and Fig. 13. These feathers are acquired on the breeding grounds immediately after the natal down is shed and before the young begin their migration.

Size and weight

Body length:

9.5–11.25 in. (24–28.5 cm)

Wingspan:

23.5–28.75 in. (60–73 cm)

Bill length:

0.75–1.0 in. (19–26 mm)

Weight:

4.3–6.8 oz. (122–194 g)

Calls

High-pitched, often two-syllable warning call, somewhat reminiscent of Black-Bellied Plover, but sharper and higher-pitched.

Calls in Nome, AK, 2017:

Calls in Nabor Carillo, Mexico, 2016:

Plumage and other characteristics

AMGP has a small, dove-like head with a thin bill; see Fig. 16.

Winter (basic) plumage as with most winter shorebirds, is brownish gray. Gray back (mantle) feathers have pale zigzag margins and are bisected by darker center shafts; see Fig. 1.

In spring, AMGP begins to acquire alternate plumage; see Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig 4, and Fig 5.

Full spring (alternate) plumage consists of strikingly black underparts from face to undertail. Wings and back (mantle) are strongly checkered blackish brown, white and gold. There is a dark cap above a broad white eyebrow (supercilium); see Fig. 6.

Males in alternate plumage have solid black underparts. Females are grayer on the face and somewhat more mottled on the belly.

Spring (alternate) and summer (alternate) plumage are the same plumage, though more mottled and worn on the margins in the summer. Males and females become increasingly mottled as the summer advances into fall.

The variability of mottling of the undersides in summer (alternate) plumage, due to feather wear and abrasion after breeding season, leads to a bewildering array of different looking plumages; see Fig. 7, Fig. 8. Note that the undertail retains some of the black alternate feathers, distinguishing this species from Black-Bellied Plover which has all-white undertail.

Newly fledged young birds arrive from the Arctic in late summer, displaying a fresh, checkered back (mantle), often with golden or yellow spots. Neck, upper breast and belly are checkered or barred on juvenile birds; see Fig. 9, Fig. 13.

In all plumages, AMGP underwings in flight are gray; see Fig. 12, Fig. 14.

The tail and rump, seen from above in flight, are dark. Wings, seen from above in flight, have a narrow pale stripe; see Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12.

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Breeding range, migration, wintering range, habitat

AMGP nests in subarctic and arctic Canada and Alaska, with a few pairs known to nest in far northeastern Siberia. The Canadian range is primarily west and north of Hudson Bay, including much of Baffin Island.

Breeding habitat consists of high, rocky slopes with low vegetation.

Birds forage on adult and larval insects, earthworms, small crustaceans, mollusks and spiders. During migration, berries are a particularly important food.

On its winter range, AMGP forages primarily in the grasslands and agricultural fields of far southern Brazil, Paraguay, southern Bolivia, northern Chile, Uruguay and Argentina as far south as Tierra del Fuego.

In spring, most American Golden-Plovers migrate north through central South America and reach central United States through Central America or over the Gulf of Mexico. The migration route then brings the birds to north-central Canada before they disperse farther north and westward. Few individuals reach the East Coast in spring.

After the breeding season, by late July or August, southbound birds traverse the center of the North American continent, stopping in the prairie states to refuel as they head for their South American wintering grounds. Others fly east along the coast of arctic Canada before heading south directly across the Atlantic Ocean to South America. Yet others disperse eastward to the Canadian Maritimes before leaving for a trans-Atlantic flight to South America.

By September, some of the easterly migrating adults, which are molting, as well as some juveniles, appear on New England shores or farm fields. Most depart for South America by mid-October.

During migration, AMGP may be found on sandy beaches and coastal mudflats at low tide, also feeding in agricultural fields. AMGP forages in a stop and start manner, standing upright for a while before running forward to peck at the sand, mud or soil.

At coastal locations during high tide, AMGP roosts on higher dunes, in salt marsh pans or on jetties and breakwaters, often with other shorebirds.

Similar species

AMGP compared to BBPL

American Golden-Plover (AMGP) and Black-bellied Plover (BBPL) are somewhat similar in size and shape. In New England, BBPL is likely to be the only plover of its size and shape in spring. In the fall, many American Golden-Plovers migrate far offshore or down the center of the continent, but there are frequent sightings of individuals or flocks in New England farms or along the coast in September and later. It is useful to learn to distinguish the two species in late summer and fall.

Note the following:

In flight, the entire underwing of AMGP is gray. On BBPL, the axillars (wingpits) are black.; see Fig. 12, Fig. 14.
In flight, the upperparts of BBPL are strongly dark and white. The tail has a white base with barring on the tip. There are bold white stripes on its wings. Upperparts of AMGP are uniformly dusky with faint, pale wing stripes; see Fig. 10, Fig. 11, Fig. 12.
AMGP has a small dove-like head vs. the bulky bull-necked look of BBPL. Bill of BBPL is thicker and longer than AMGP’s bill; see Fig. 16.
BBPL juvenile is gray and white; AMGP juvenile is mostly brown and white, sometimes with golden (yellowish) spots on the back (mantle); see Fig. 13, Fig. 15.
AMGP, unlike BBPL, lacks the hallux (rear toe). This is not an easy feature to see because it is small and often hidden by the substrate the bird walks on.

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AMGP compared to EUGP

American Golden-Plover (AMGP) and European Golden-Plover (EUGP) are similar in most plumages but can be distinguished with some study. EUGP is rare in New England—only one record in Massachusetts—but has been recorded numerous times in eastern Canada.

Note the following:

On a perched AMGP in spring and summer (alternate) plumage, the broad white band that separates the mottled back (mantle) from the black neck and underparts extends only as far as the upper breast. On EUGP, the white band extends all the way along the flanks and almost to the tail.
On a perched AMGP, tertial feathers appear short so that four primary tips project beyond the tip of the longest tertial feather. On EUGP with its longer tertials, only three primary tips are visible beyond the tertials; see Fig. 17.
On a flying EUGP, the wing stripe is prominent and whitish; it is faint and narrow on an AMGP.
EUGP is slightly larger and bulkier than AMGP but has shorter legs and a smaller bill.

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AMGP compared to PAGP

American Golden-Plover (AMGP) and Pacific Golden-Plover (PAGP) are similar. Until 1993, both were known as one species, Lesser Golden-Plover. Only a few PAGP have been recorded on the North American east coast.

Note the following:

PAGP is taller and slimmer. The legs are long and project beyond the tail in flight.
On a perched AMGP in spring and summer (alternate) plumage, the broad white band that separates the mottled back (mantle) from the black neck and underparts extends only as far as the upper breast. On PAGP, the white band extends all the way along the flanks almost to the tail. This is similar to the EUGP except that there are splotches of gray or black in the PAGP’s white band.
PAGP’s bill is thicker and longer than AMGP’s bill.