European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria (Linnaeus, 1758)

≈30 cmLength72 cmWingspan214 gWeight

The European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria), also known as the Eurasian golden plover, greater golden plover, or just the golden plover within Europe, is a relatively large species of plover.

Busiest months: October · Most records: United Kingdom, Iceland, Spain

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

White axillaries, visible with wings spread
Stocky build; wings only slightly longer than the tail

Voice

A single, slightly descending, rather melancholy “tuu”.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October · Most records: United Kingdom, Iceland, Spain

European Golden Plover has been recorded at 889 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 71 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom4,240 records
KaldbakstjarnirIceland2,556 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom1,828 records

More places

Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom1,635 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom1,616 records
WWT Slimbridge Wetland CentreUnited Kingdom1,405 records
Rutland WaterUnited Kingdom974 records
Oare Marshes LNRUnited Kingdom917 records
Fair IsleUnited Kingdom865 records
Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira – área geralPortugal811 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Iceland Spain Portugal Sweden Norway Ireland Denmark

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria), also known as the Eurasian golden plover, greater golden plover, or just the golden plover within Europe, is a relatively large species of plover. This species is similar to two other golden plovers, the American golden plover, Pluvialis dominica, and Pacific golden plover, Pluvialis fulva, which are both slightly smaller, slimmer and longer-legged than European golden plover, and both have grey rather than white axillary (armpit) feathers (visible in flight, and when the bird stretches its wings on the ground).

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the European Golden Plover?

The European Golden Plover is about ≈30 cm long, with a wingspan of 72 cm and weighs around 214 g.

Where does the European Golden Plover live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: inland low Arctic (mainly) to temperate zone: east-central Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, British Isles, northern Germany and Denmark, Fennoscandia, Baltic east to Taimyr Peninsula (north-central Russia). It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Iceland and Spain.

When is the best time to see the European Golden Plover?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the European Golden Plover endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the European Golden Plover as Least Concern.

What does the European Golden Plover eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the European Golden Plover in?

It belongs to the family Plovers (Charadriidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈30 cm
Wingspan: 72 cm
Weight: 214 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 181 mm
Tail: 70 mm
Bill: 25 mm
Tarsus: 38 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: inland low Arctic (mainly) to temperate zone: east-central Greenland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, British Isles, northern Germany and Denmark, Fennoscandia, Baltic east to Taimyr Peninsula (north-central Russia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2