European Golden Plover. At maxwell national wildlife refuge a european golden plover was discovered. The golden plover is a medium sized plover with a distinctive gold and black summer plumage.
In winter they form large flocks which fly in fairly tight formation with rapid twinkling wingbeats. Smaller than black bellied gray plover which has gray or silvery upperparts. Prefers open ground and tundra habitats.
Smaller than black bellied gray plover which has gray or silvery upperparts.
In winter the black in replaced by buff and white. An irregular spring visitor to newfoundland sometimes seen in flocks especially after strong storms over the north atlantic. Nonbreeding plumage is buffy golden overall with white belly. The american golden plover pluvialis dominica and pacific golden plover pluvialis fulva which are both smaller slimmer and relatively longer legged than european golden plover and both have grey rather than white axillary feathers.
