Only two examples of this American species have been shot in England. It is a larger bird than any of our other Ringed Plovers, which it somewhat resembles, but it may be recognised by its rufous rump and upper tail coverts, a black subterminal bar and white tip to all the tail feathers except the central pair, and the presence of two narrow black bands across the breast. Length 9·5 in.; wing 6·5 in.
GOLDEN PLOVER
Charadrius pluvialis, Linnæus
The home of the Golden Plover is on the lower slopes of those hills the tops of which the Dotterel takes as his own, for the Golden Plover prefers the cover afforded by the tall heather and the more abundant and varied insect diet of the lower lands.
As we walk up the hill we first hear his shrill whistle, and soon see him coming to meet us. Settling some yards ahead, he pipes his whistle incessantly, and then as we approach he flies on to some other upstanding boulder, and so on for perhaps half-a-mile, till, having escorted us to the limits of the ground over which he claims suzerain rights, he hands us over to the ruling chief of the next territory; Thus in a walk over the hillside we find ourselves incessantly accompanied by one of these birds, whose cry is never out of our ears. We have, however, only noticed half the game, for the birds that have been accompanying us are almost always male birds: his duty it is to stand on some exposed mound while his hen crouches amid the heather on her precious eggs, four pear-shaped beauties, the black spots and markings showing up against their greenish ground colour. On the first appearance of any intruder he will sound his pipe and fly off towards us, while his mate quietly leaves her eggs, and, flying low, circles round till we see her apparently coming up from a direction diametrically opposed to that in which her treasures lie. It will be unavailing for us to lie in wait hoping to watch her return to the nest, unless we are completely concealed, for he will keep a close eye upon us, and until his warning whistle is quiet she will not return. When the young are hatched both birds meet and follow us, while in response to the warning, the young squat close to the ground, under some sheltering piece of heather, and so defy detection. In autumn these birds collect in large flocks, and though many remain on the moors all the year round, the majority come to the marshes near the sea and gradually pass southwards.
The sexes are alike in plumage. The whole of the upper parts are dark brown, with two or more yellow spots on the margins of each feather. The throat and breast are black, bordered by a clear-cut white line. Bill and legs black. In winter the black on the throat and chest is replaced by white, with pale brownish mottlings across the latter. Length 11 in.; wing 7·5 in.
The young resemble their parents in winter but the yellow is brighter, and there are traces of yellow across the breast. It is generally distributed throughout these islands, breeding commonly on the moorlands, and becoming much more numerous in Scotland.
THE LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER
Charadrius dominicus, P. L. S. Müller
This species is subdivided into two forms, one of which is found in Eastern Asia, while the other is an inhabitant of North America.
Examples of both these forms have been shot in the United Kingdom, although the American form, as might be expected, has occurred the more frequently of the two.
Both these forms may be distinguished from our common species, which they closely resemble, in having the axillaries smoke grey instead of white. Length about 9 in.; wing 6·75 in.