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Pluvialis fulva
Some of these birds winter in California like this one, but many make a hugely long migration from their summer home in the arctic tundra to winter in south Asia and Australasia!
Spotted on Nov 24, 2011
Submitted on Nov 26, 2011
2 Comments
Thanks so much Liam. I'm an indifferent birder at best, and am amazed that I have spotted a less than common bird! I knew you would know who I had!
It's a bit late in the year for American Golden Plover. This would be a Pacific Golden Plover, which winter in Cali. The difference is mainly the primary length. American GP's primaries would extend beyond the tail, where as the Pacific GP's are like your birds. It's differentiated from the Black-bellied Plover by the streaked gray (not white) belly.