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Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Charadriidae
BTO Codes:
GP , GOLPL
EURING No:
4850
Number in Britain:
23 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
GREEN
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
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IBC
Status in UK:
(A) Migrant/Resident Breeder, Passage/Winter Visitor
Subspecies:
Monotypic
.
Length:
28 cm
Wingspan:
72 cm
Weight:
M/F: 220 g
Scientific name from:
L.: pluvia =to rain
and L.: apricus =sun-kissed
World Distribution:
BREEDS: N Europe to c Siberia, WINTERS: w Europe to Mediterranean & Persian Gulf
Habitat:
Tundra, wet moor, on migration pasture & estuaries
Diet:
Invertebrates, esp beetles, earthworms, feeds extensively at night
TitBit:
A question about the flight speed of Golden Plover (now known to be up to 60mph) during a shooting party in Wexford, Ireland prompted Sir Hugh Beaver (then chairman of the brewery) to found the Guiness Book of Records in 1955
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
Regional Trends:
No regional trends available
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
23 thousand pairs
in 1981-84
Note: Best estimate
Winter:
250 thousand individuals
in 1981-92
Note: Best estimate
First Record:
10th Century
[Fossil evidence from
Ipswichian (last) interglacial, c. 125,000 yr ago]
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
Common in:
Bog, Grass/Heath, Marsh
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
Summer:
436 to 645 thousand pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WCA(II,III), WBD(I, II*&III*), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
52 x 35 mm
Egg Weight:
33.0 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
14
(more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size:
4 eggs
3.94 ± 0.28 (2 - 4) N = 527
Incubation:
28 - 31 days
by the:
Female (occ. Male)
Fledging:
25 - 33 days
as:
Precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
24 Apr (3 Apr - 6 Jun)
Number of Broods:
1
Trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed:
119
Adult Survival:
0.73
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
1
year
Typical Lifespan:
4
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
12yr0m
(The Netherlands: 12yr 9m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
D
Wing Length
Adult:
193.5 ± 5.4
Range
186 - 202 mm, N =213
Juvenile:
189.8 ± 5.9
181 - 199 mm, N =98
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
208.5 ± 18.44
Range
180.0 - 236.0 g , N =224
Juvenile:
209.2 ± 20.90
172.0 - 248.0 g , N =93
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
European Golden Plover
Gaelic:
Welsh:
Cwtiad Aur
Danish:
Hjejle
Dutch:
Goudplevier
Finnish:
Kapustarinta
French:
Pluvier doré
German:
Goldregenpfeifer
Hungarian:
Aranylile
Icelandic:
Heiðlóa
Irish:
Feadóg Bhuí
Italian:
Piviere dorato
Norwegian:
Heilo
Polish:
Siewka zlota
Portuguese:
Tarambola-dourada
Spanish:
Chorlito dorado
Swedish:
Ljungpipare
Local Names: Whistling / Hill Plover
Collective Noun: Stand (or Wing in flight)
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Byrkjedal, I. & Thompson, D. 1998 Tundra plovers Poyser, London
[598.612 BYR]
Nethersole-Thompson, D. & M. 1986 Waders, their breeding, haunts and watchers Poyser, London
[598.6 NET]
See Also:
BirdFacts home | BTO Home birdfacts@bto.org These data should be cited as:
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