Pluvialis apricaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

Physical Description

This species, known as the European golden plover, has a fairly thickset build, with wings that are only slightly longer than its tail. Its most prominent distinguishing feature is a white S-shaped band that stretches from its forehead to its flanks.

Breeding Habitat

For breeding, the European golden plover typically occupies Arctic tundra and other moorland areas.

Breeding Range

Its breeding range extends west to Iceland, where it is locally called Heiðlóa, and east to central Siberia. The southernmost breeding populations occur in Wales and Belarus; a small breeding population that was previously found on Dartmoor in southwest England became extinct around 2010.

Winter Migration Regions

During winter, the species migrates southwest to milder regions of Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia.

Winter Range Boundaries

Its winter range reaches from Ireland east to Denmark, and south through the Mediterranean region as far as Algeria, northern Egypt, and the Caspian Sea coast of Iran.

Winter Flock Habitats

European golden plovers usually gather in large flocks across open habitats including agricultural plains, ploughed land, and short meadows. These habitats range from lowland plains to subarctic plateaus, and the species is generally found on flat terrain with moderate vegetation located near wetlands.

Vagrant Sightings

Vagrants of this species have been recorded as far west as the east coast of Canada (Newfoundland and Nova Scotia), as far south as Gambia, and as far east as Pakistan and northern India.

Species Call

The call of the European golden plover is a monosyllabic, slightly descending, melancholic "tuu".

Flight Characteristics

Its flight is rapid and powerful, produced with steady, regular wingbeats.

Chick Food Sources

In the United Kingdom, golden plover chicks depend on craneflies as a food source, while march flies are a more important food source for chicks in Sweden.