By Dianna Moore

Grays Harbor Audubon

This bird is rarely seen on Grays Harbor, but when it does show up it is usually a juvenile (like the one pictured) and is seen during the fall migration. We are at the end of that period, so to find one now would be a real coup.

General Description: The American Golden Plover is a bit smaller than its cousin, the Black-bellied Plover, with a grayish-tan breast and belly, wingtips longer than the tail and dark-tipped wings. The head is smaller, more dove-like, with a white stripe over each eye and a fairly short, thin bill. Both sexes are approximately 9.4 to 11 inches in length, with a wingspan of 25.6 to 26.4 inches in length and weigh 4.3 to 6.8 ounces.

Habitat: During migration this bird can be found on coastal mudflats and estuaries and adjacent salt marshes and fields. They can also be found in on golf courses and in tilled farmland and overwintering in grazed grasslands. They breed in the very high Arctic.

Behavior: American Golden Plovers run and walk while feeding off the ground but are also capable of extended flights during their migration. They are very territorial on both their breeding grounds and their wintering feeding grounds. During migration, they also roost and fly in large flocks.

Diet: Their diet consists of small mollusks, crustaceans, insects, and berries in the spring and fall.

Nesting: American Golden Plovers breed in the far north Arctic. Within a few days of the males arriving on the nesting grounds, the males have chosen a site on dry, open tundra and are busy attracting a mate. The female lays four eggs and the male incubates during the day and she incubates at night for 24 to 27 days. The hatchlings are able to feed themselves within a few hours of hatching, but both parents tend them until migration. They have just the one brood each year.

Migration: American Golden Plovers are long-distance migrators, from their breeding grounds in the north Arctic region to their wintering grounds in southern South America.

Conservation Status: Although their breeding territory is relatively safe from disturbance, their migration route and wintering areas are under pressure from agriculture and urbanization. They are currently not threatened at this time.

When and Where to Find on Grays Harbor: There are some birds that show up on the outer coast during the spring migration, but flocks of 50 to 150 can be seen during the fall migration, and most of those will be juveniles. Come check out the possibilities on local golf courses and on the outer beaches, where most of the sightings have been tallied.