Pacific Golden-Plover

Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) is in the Plovers and Lapwings family (Charadriidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 8,691 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in March.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Pacific Golden-Plover: observations by month (U.S.)

About Pacific Golden-Plover

The Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a medium-sized plover. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent. The species name fulva is Latin and refers to a tawny colour.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Pacific Golden-Plover by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Plovers and Lapwings)

KilldeerCharadrius vociferus

Black-bellied PloverPluvialis squatarola

Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus

Snowy PloverAnarhynchus nivosus

Piping PloverCharadrius melodus

American Golden-PloverPluvialis dominica

Wilson's PloverAnarhynchus wilsonia

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ