“The Golden Plover, although occasionally addicted to wading, evidently prefers dry ground, in which respect it differs essentially in habits from the Totani and Limosæ. It frequently probes the moist sands, and in summer the dry cow dung on the moors and upland pastures is seen perforated by its bill. It affords delicious eating, and in my opinion is scarcely inferior in this respect to the Woodcock.”
Charadrius pluvialis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 254.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 740.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 297.
Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 71. pl. 59. fig. 5., Winter.—Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 16.
Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCC. Fig. 1.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, subcylindrical. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for two-thirds of its length, then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended along two-thirds of the mandible, filled with a bare membrane; nostrils basal, linear, in the lower part of the membrane, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping outwards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and involute towards the narrow tip.
Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full. Wings long. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexagonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe longest, fourth considerably longer than the second, all scutellate above and marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a membrane as far as the second joint; claws small, compressed, slightly arched, slender but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the middle claw dilated.
Plumage soft, blended, slightly glossed, the feathers rounded. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries short, broad, obliquely rounded, inner tapering and elongated. Tail rather short, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey. The upper part of the head, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars are beautifully variegated with brownish-black and bright yellow, the latter in spots along the edges of the feathers. The hind part of the back greyish-brown, variegated with yellow of a duller tint; the tail brown, barred with white. The wings are hair-brown, the smaller coverts spotted with yellowish-white, the primary coverts and secondaries tipped with white. The inner secondaries like the scapulars. Part of the forehead, the loral space, a band over the eye, and the throat, are greyish-white; the sides of the neck and body variegated with brown, dull white and yellowish. The breast and a broad band down the fore-neck, are brownish-black, the latter margined on each side with white. Axillar feathers, and lower tail-coverts white.
Length to end of tail 10 1/2 inches, to end of wings 10 1/4, to end of claws 11 1/2; extent of wings 22 3/8; wing from flexure 7; tail 3 2/12; bill along the back 11/12, along the edge of lower mandible 1 2/12; bare part of tibia 8/12; tarsus 1 7/12; middle toe 1 1/12, its claw 4/12. Weight 5 1/2 oz.
Adult in winter. Plate CCC. Fig. 2.