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Pluvialis fulva
Young birds are similar to non-breeding adults (broad, buff brown to white eyebrow and the upperparts are duller, being golden brown with white spots and the underparts are brown to light grey) but the breast is mottled brownish-yellow and grey-brown and the birds have a light yellow eyebrow. (Birdlife Australia)
Hanging about in the waste water treatment wetlands.
Ultimate Identification: Warden at Broome Bird Observatory. Thank you to Ashley and Joshua for your contributions in identifying this gorgeous little bird! ** The Pacific Golden Plover breeds on the Arctic tundra in western Alaska. It winters in South America and islands of the Pacific Ocean to India, Indonesia and Australia. In Australia it is widespread along the coastline. ** Reference: http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/... Further reading: http://phys.org/news/2011-06-plovers-tra...
Spotted on Oct 24, 2015
Submitted on Oct 28, 2015
22 Comments
I have to say that the most adorable bird is probably the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Those eyes, man!
@AshleyT: I totally agree! @armadeus.4: I only know to use that plural form of the word because I took a few years of Latin in high school! Totally worth it.
ha ha little balls of fluff with sticks poking out :D...oo...you just reminded me! I have a baby plover that I haven't added on here yet! Must get onto that...
Plovers are adorable, and their babies are something to make even the toughest of men go crazy over haha. Idk Joshua, for me winter gulls, winter shorebirds, and winter warblers are all pretty bad!
Thank you Joshua...that was driving me nuts...I have never used the word 'supercilii' in a sentence - until now :D
So...aaah...I think it is safe to say this is a Pacific Golden Plover (non-breeding plumage)!!!
Thank you all for your help in identifying this little one. I just think it's the cutest :)
@ AshleyT: Nonbreeding plumage is more fun than duck eclipse plumage!
They have buffy supercilii.
...and Michael Morcombe eGuide says "...[they] retain some gold spangling." which this little one has and, "[there are] 2 or 3 dark primaries visible." I think this just might be the pacific golden plover. I'm still unsure about the white eye-stripe though...
Nice info Ashley!
Okay. I have found a little evidence towards it being a pacific golden plover. Grey plovers have a dark cap on the head that ends on the top part of the head, and golden plovers have the dark cap that extends around the top of the head and stops on the top of the neck (backside of head). Also, grey plovers have a slightly thicker bill, and when compared to the head they both look chunky. Then, when you look at golden plover, the bill appears more dainty in proportion to the head. Have a look at these two links (they are for the Americas, but that doesn't matter haha):
golden plover: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pacif...
grey plover (also called black-bellied in NA, but same thing): http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black...
Sorry for the late response... The bill is not nearly as heavy as that of a Grey Plover (Black-bellied Plover to Americans). The yellow wash on the face is also a great indicator.
Please tell me that's rhetorical! ha ha
Isn't non-breeding plumage fun??
Which in that case, it would make me think it's a Pacific golden plover
I personally do not think that this is a Pacific golden plover, the back markings seem to match that of a Grey plovers. Except it is the gold looking spots on the back that are throwing me off...
But the colour of the plumage seems to match it more than the Grey Plover...these little critters are difficult!!!
@ Joshua ~ What makes you say that?
The more I look at it, the less certain I am because in all of the images of Pacific Golden Plovers that I have looked at, they have a white eye-stripe that mine doesn't appear to have...
I totally agree with Pacific Golden Plover.
LoL Goodness...shall see what I can come up with :D
I lean more towards pacific golden plover for no particular reason, do with that what you want haha
Crikey...this is gonna be fun :D Breeding plumage does help hey. Thank you for a starting point Ashley!
It's a plover, that much I can help you with. It being in non-breeding plumage doesn't help anything either! I'm pretty sure it's either the gray plover (http://www.ozanimals.com/Bird/Grey-Plove...) or the pacific golden plover (http://www.ozanimals.com/Bird/Pacific-Go...)