American golden-plover
Pluvialis dominica
Identification Tips:
- Medium-sized, long-winged shorebird
- No wing stripe
- Wingtips extend beyond tail
- Dark rump
- Short, fairly thin, dark bill
- Legs black
Adult alternate
- Black face, throat, and underparts
- White border to black face and throat
- Gold and black spangled crown, nape, back, and wings
Adult basic
- Gray-brown upperparts with paler edging
- Pale gray breast
- White supercilium
- Whitish underparts
- Underwing coverts and axillars gray
Juvenile
- Similar to adult basic but upperparts have "cleaner" appearance and more
gold spotting
- Black and gold spotted tertials
- Finely streaked breast
- White supercilium
- Underwing coverts and axillars gray
Similar species:
The Black-bellied Plover is quite similar to the American Golden-Plover
but has black axillars, white wing stripe, thicker bill, and white rump in
basic plumage and white undertail coverts in breeding plumage. In most
plumages the Black-bellied is distinctly grayer without any gold coloration.
Pacific Golden-Plover is very similar but has white flanks and undertail
coverts in breeding plumage. In basic plumage, Pacific has yellower head
and neck. Rare European Golden-Plover has white flanks and undertail coverts
in alternate plumage and a less distinct supercilium in basic plumage. In all
plumages, European has wingtips that barely extend past the end of the tail.