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.