[Birdnet] Golden-Plover ID

[Ken Behrens]

After following the developments regarding the Golden-Plover(s?) with
interest, I went to see the bird yesterday (Sunday). The short version is
that it looks like a classic Pacific Golden-Plover to me.

To elaborate... while I have no particular expertise with Golden-Plovers, I
do have the advantage of owning The Shorebird Guide - the newest and by far
best entry in the shorebird ID market. If you don't have it, go buy it. I
will refer to the (excellent) Paul Higgins photos in the order in which they
appear on the utahbirds website (
http://utahbirds.org/hotlinephotos/2006/PloverAug2006Two.htm). The following
characteristics favor Pacific:

>Short primary extension beyond the very long tertials. P9 & 10 are closer
together than the other primaries, with the wingtip essentially formed by
these two feathers rather than a single outermost primary. This mark is
elaborated here:
http://www.nybirds.org/Publications/KB53no4_PacGoldPlover.htm

>Long legs and upright posture. Obvious in the photos and particularly in
the field.

>Long but fairly shallow bill. A good description of this mark here:
http://www.oceanwanderers.com/NJPGP.html

>During my observations, this bird lifted a foot after almost every small
series of steps it took. The bird was captured doing this in photo 1. The
behavoir is typical of Pacific and atypical for American.

>This bird has fresh inner primaries (P1 and P2 at least) - shown well in
photo 3. Pacific GPs molt their inner primaries on the breeding grounds,
suspend molt, and then replace the remaining primaries on the wintering
grounds, whereas American GPs molt all their primaries on the wintering
grounds (South America). This mark may be the most solid single piece of
evidence for Pacific Golden-Plover.

>Large gold spots throughout the back (mantle, scaps, coverts, etc.) and
crown.

>Broad dark stripe down nape. Shown fairly well in photo 4, though more
obvious in the field.

>This mark is tough, but the vestiges of alternate plumage seem to show a
strip of white extending all the way down the side of the neck and flanks.
This mark is used tentatively on the New York bird:
http://www.nybirds.org/Publications/KB53no4_PacGoldPlover.htm

I'm fortunate to have been in Utah for a couple weeks during the occurence
of such an interesting bird.

-Ken Behrens
Brighton, Colorado
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