The golden plover is a little smaller than the Lapwing, with which it often gathers in large numbers on farmland and coastal flats during the winter. In summer, it is found in upland moorland habitats where it breeds from May to September. It nests on open ground among heather and grass, and the female lays about 4 eggs. Both parents care for the chicks.
How to identify
The golden plover is smaller than its relative, the grey plover. In summer, adults have a black throat, chest and belly, surrounded by a band of white and topped with a distinctive, spotted gold-and-black back and cap. In winter, they lose their black and turn more buff in colour, with a pale throat, chest and belly. In mixed flocks, golden plovers can be distinguished from lapwings by their sharp, pointed wings (lapwings have bluntly rounded wings).
Did you know?
There are two other species of golden plover: the American golden plover (which breeds in Canada and Alaska and winters in South America), and the Pacific golden plover (which breeds northern Asia and winters in South Asia and Australia). Both species are extremely rare visitors to the UK each year.
