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Location: Imperial Beach, CA
Date: 2005-01-16
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Date: 2005-01-16
Lens: Canon 400mm F5.6
Pacific Golden-Plover
Pluvialis fulva
DescriptionThe Pacific Golden-Plover is one of the longest non-stop migrants, traveling about 3000 miles from Alaska to Hawaii. Although some winter along the California coast, most migrate to islands in the South Pacific. The Pacific and the American Golden-Plover were considered a single species until recently.
General: 9 to 11 inches in length. Sexes similar.
Adult Alternate: Black face, throat, breast and belly. White border around black extends from face and throat down the flanks to the undertail coverts. Gold and black speckled crown, nape, back, and wings. Dark bill, legs, and rump.
Adult Basic: Grayish-brown upperparts with pale feather edges. Upperparts are strongly tinged with yellow. Yellow supercilium. Pale gray breast and belly. Dark bill, legs, and rump.
Juvenile: Similar to adult basic, but has more yellow spotting and a finely streaked breast.
Coastal beaches and mudflats. Breeds on tundra.
Nesting3-4 buff eggs with brown spots. The eggs have a 26-27 day incubation period. Fledging occurs in ? days. The nest is a shallow ground depression lined with moss and built on a ridge or other elevated location. Breeds on the Arctic tundra.
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