European Golden Plover
Pluvialis apricaria
Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyCharadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
- GenusPluvialis (Golden Plovers and Grey Plover)
- SpeciesPluvialis apricaria (European Golden Plover)
About the European Golden Plover
The European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria), also known as the Eurasian golden plover, greater golden plover, or just the golden plover within Europe, is a relatively large species of plover. This species is similar to two other golden plovers, the American golden plover, Pluvialis dominica, and Pacific golden plover, Pluvialis fulva, which are both slightly smaller, slimmer and longer-legged than European golden plover, and both have grey rather than white axillary (armpit) feathers (visible in flight, and when the bird stretches its wings on the ground).
The European golden plover was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other plovers in the genus Charadrius and coined the binomial name Charadrius apricarius. The species is now placed in the genus Pluvialis that was introduced in 1760 by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson. The genus name is Latin and means "relating to rain", from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that golden plovers flocked when rain was imminent. The species name apricaria is Latin and means "to bask in the sun". The European golden plover... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of European Golden Plover in Biebrza National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Biebrza National Park
Black-bellied Plover
Pluvialis squatarola
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus
Common Ringed Plover
Charadrius hiaticula
Kentish Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus
Black-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Ruff
Calidris pugnax
Common Redshank
Tringa totanus
Black-tailed Godwit
Limosa limosa
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Wood Sandpiper
Tringa glareola
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thingvellir National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 2 | Vatnajokull National Park | 🇮🇸 Iceland | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 4 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 5 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 7 | Cairngorms National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 9 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 10 | Hortobágy National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 13 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 14 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a European Golden Plover in Biebrza National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a European Golden Plover sighting in Biebrza National Park, based on 88 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see European Golden Plover in Biebrza National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for European Golden Plover in Biebrza National Park in our monthly data.