American Golden Plover - Ross Feldner

This elegant, medium-sized plover’s Latin name is pluvialis dominica. The first part refers to rain and the second part refers to Santo Domingo. It was once believed that Golden Plovers flocked when rain was imminent.

They breed in Arctic tundra in Canada and Alaska and migrate to South America. During the migration they gather in huge numbers in the American Midwest. American Golden Plovers have one of the longest migratory routes covering over 25,000 miles of which over 3,000 is across water where they cannot stop to feed or drink.

They scrape out nests in the ground and line them with grass, leaves, and lichens.

Foraging on the tundra, in fields, tidal flats and on beaches, American Golden Plover feed on snails, earthworms, insects, fish, seeds and berries.

American Golden Plovers attracted the attention of Christopher Columbus to the nearby Americas in early October 1492, after 65 days at sea out of sight of land.

Massive numbers were shot in the late 19th century and the population has never fully recovered. Currently their greatest threat is habitat loss in their wintering grounds and climate change impacting their Arctic breeding grounds. Pesticides are also a major threat as American Golden Plovers often forage in farm fields that have been treated with these toxic chemicals.