American Golden Plover

The American golden plover is a medium-sized plover, 24–28 cm long with a wingspan of 65–67 cm and a weight of 122–194 g. The breeding adult has a black face, neck, breast and belly, with a white crown and nape extending to the side of the breast, and a back mottled black and white with pale gold spots. In winter plumage both sexes have grey-brown upperparts, pale grey-brown underparts and a whitish eyebrow, with a small head and bill (Wikipedia, general species account).

In breeding plumage it has a solid black lower belly and undertail, while the Pacific and European golden plovers have at least some white on the flanks and undertail. The post-breeding moult is a month or more later than in the Pacific golden plover, in September to October on the wintering grounds. The cached account gives no detail specific to India. SoIB 2023 lists it as a bird of uncertain migratory status in wetland that eats invertebrates, without a priority category (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).