The American Golden Plover is a stunning bird. The face and belly are jet black with a pure white strip running from the forehead, around the back of the face and down the neck. The back of the bird is a mottled pattern of black, white and gold. The overall effect is lovely.
It is a fairly common bird, and you have a good chance of seeing it during spring and fall while they are on migration. They fly to south Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil for the winter.
The problem is, they change colours in the winter from their beautiful breeding plumage to a dull grey winter plumage. I photographed these birds in the Arctic in July. By the time they get to central Canada, they are totally grey with no trace of their summer colours. So, if you really want to see the American Golden Plover in all its glory, you will have to travel to the Arctic.
That’s fascinating! I never thought about the color differences during migration…what a difference it must be for, say, a North American birder in South America!
Yes, Arctic birds are common in southern USA, Central and South America and further north during migration. But to see them in their beautiful breeding colours, you need to go to the Arctic in spring or early summer. This plover had already changed to grey by mid-August.