The Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a medium-sized plover. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent. The species name fulva is Latin and refers to a tawny colour.
The breeding habitat of Pacific Golden Plover is the Arctic tundra from northernmost Asia into western Alaska. It nests on the ground in a dry open area.
It is migratory and winters in south Asia and Australasia. A few winter in California and Hawaii, USA. In Hawaii, the bird is known as the kōlea. It is very rare vagrant to western Europe. They return to the same wintering territory each year, which allowed scientists in Hawaii to attach tiny light level geolocator devices to the birds and then retrieve them the following year in the same location. This research revealed that these birds make the 4800 km non-stop flight between Alaska and Hawaii in 3–4 days.
Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net
www.oiseaux.net
is one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there
By SanoAK: Alexander Kürthy - Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com.
Range map from BirdLife International 2016. Pluvialis fulva.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22693735A93419468. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693735A93419468.en.
Downloaded on 14 March 2019 as visual indicator of distribution., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77342184
Range map from BirdLife International 2016. Pluvialis fulva.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T22693735A93419468. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22693735A93419468.en.
Downloaded on 14 March 2019 as visual indicator of distribution., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77342184
The 23–26 cm long breeding adult is spotted gold and black on the crown, and back on the wings. Its face and neck are black with a white border, and it has a black breast and a dark rump. The legs are black. In winter, the black is lost and the plover then has a yellowish face and breast, and white underparts.
| Length: 23 - 26 cm |
|---|
| Wingspan: 60 - 72 cm |
| Weight: 97 - 192 g |
| Longevity: 7 Years |
| Distinctive Feature
• |
| Similar Species
• Eurasian Golden Plover: a slightly larger, stockier bird, but with shorter primary extension and shorter legs. • American Golden Plover: Pacific Golden Plover is bit lighter and "golder" overall. Has same white at forehead but not quite as thick, white runs down along sides, thickens at wing bend but continues along the flanks, does not abruptly stop as in the American Golden Plover. From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding. |
| Female / Male / Juvenile
• Juvenile: resembles winter adult but has an almost white forehead and supercilium. The flanks are chevroned with dusky-yellow but belly and vent are whitish. From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding. |
Female
Pak Thale, Thailand - May 2020
Male
Pak Thale, Thailand - May 2020
It is similar to two other golden plovers: the Eurasian and American plovers. The Pacific Golden Plover is smaller, slimmer and relatively longer-legged than the European Golden Plover, Pluvialis apricaria, which also has white axillary (armpit) feathers. Overall, the Pacific Golden Plover is found to be more similar to the American golden plover, Pluvialis dominica, with which it was once considered conspecific as "lesser golden plover".
The Pacific Golden Plover is slimmer than the American species, has a shorter primary projection, longer legs, and is usually found to have more yellow on the back.
This wader forages for food on tundra, fields, beaches and tidal flats, usually by sight. It eats insects and crustaceans and some berries.
Listen to the Pacific Golden Plover
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Natural vocalizations; calls from a male bird on moist tundra on a gentle slope.
These calls were given right as it landed after a prolonged flight display.
Sound from www.xeno-canto.org
Remarks from the Recordist
Natural vocalization; song during a prolonged flight display from a male bird, during which it was flying in a large circle with deep, slow, butterfly-like wingbeats.
A few calls at the end as it lands. Habitat was a somewhat drier tundra ridge surrounded by otherwise very wet tundra. This species is apparently slightly out of range here, and was far outnumbered by American Golden-Plover.
Conservation status
Least concern
(IUCN 3.1)
UCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2012: e.T22693735A38568056.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693735A38568056.en. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T22693735A38568056.en. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sighted: 20 April 2020 (Date of first photo that I could use)
Location: Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham
Pacific Golden Plover / นกหัวโตหลังจุดสีทอง - 20 April 2020 - Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham
Pacific Golden Plover / นกหัวโตหลังจุดสีทอง - 20 April 2020 - Moo Ban Pramong / Khok Kham
Pacific Golden Plover / นกหัวโตหลังจุดสีทอง
1 May 2020 - Laem Phak Bia--"Abandoned building" wetlands
1 May 2020 - Laem Phak Bia--"Abandoned building" wetlands
Pacific Golden Plover / นกหัวโตหลังจุดสีทอง
13 May 2020 - Laem Phak Bia--Artemia ponds
13 May 2020 - Laem Phak Bia--Artemia ponds
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