Pacific Golden-Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Silhouette: Emily Willoughby · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyCharadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
GenusPluvialis (Golden Plovers and Grey Plover)
SpeciesPluvialis fulva (Pacific Golden-Plover)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Kakadu National Park

1 Verified sightings at Kakadu National Park From 2019 to 2026

904 Verified sightings across all 33 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Pacific Golden-Plover

The Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a migratory shorebird that breeds during summer in Alaska and Siberia. During nonbreeding season, this medium-sized plover migrates widely across the Pacific. The Pacific golden plover was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the other plovers in the genus Charadrius and coined the binomial name Charadrius fulvus. Gmelin based his description on the "Fulvous plover" that had been described in 1785 by the English ornithologist John Latham from specimens from Tahiti. The Pacific golden plover is now placed in the genus Pluvialis that was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, 'rain'. It was believed that the plovers flocked when rain was imminent. The specific epithet is also from Latin and means 'tawny' or 'yellowish-brown'. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

Adults are about 25 cm (9.8 in) long with a wingspan averaging 61 cm (24 in) At their lightest, fat free,... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park

Pluvialis squatarola

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Vanellus miles

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Erythrogonys cinctus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Charadrius veredus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Irediparra gallinacea

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Chlidonias hybrida

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

LC Endemic

Burhinus grallarius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Stiltia isabella

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Himantopus leucocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Actitis hypoleucos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Calidris acuminata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Tringa stagnatilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~30%
2	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~20%
3	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	~10%
4	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	~10%
5	Katmai National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
6	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
7	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
8	Wrangell-St. Elias National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
9	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
10	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	<5%
11	Chitwan National Park	🇳🇵 Nepal	<5%
12	Kinabalu Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
13	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
14	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
15	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
16	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
17	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
18	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
19	Maria Island National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
20	Khao Sok National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
21	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	Insufficient data
22	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
23	Kerinci Seblat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
24	Nikko National Park	🇯🇵 Japan	Insufficient data
25	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	Insufficient data
26	Manas National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
27	Kakadu National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
28	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	Insufficient data
29	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	Insufficient data
30	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
31	Sepilok	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
32	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	Insufficient data
33	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data

← Back to Kakadu National Park

Pacific Golden-Plover

About the Pacific Golden-Plover

Recent sightings of Pacific Golden-Plover in Kakadu National Park

Closest Relatives at Kakadu National Park

Black-bellied Plover

Masked Lapwing

Red-kneed Dotterel

Eastern Sand Plover

Comb-crested Jacana

Whiskered Tern

Bush Stone-curlew

Australian Pratincole

White-headed Stilt

Common Sandpiper

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found