Always good to find your own birds and today was the best I have found for a bit.
American Golden Plover are relatively rare in the UK with an average of 25 records a year. Not surprising when one considers that they have to fly across the Atlantic. They breed in the N of Canada and winter in Argentina and Uruguay so are used to long distance flights over the sea and presumably the strong run of westerlies we have had this Autumn have pushed a few across. Currently the Hebrides host several American waders including a small flock of 11 White-rumped Sandpipers.reflecting those westerly winds.
A birder's adage is that if you are not sure if a bird of prey is a Buzzard or an Eagle then it is a Buzzard. The same could be said about Golden Plover and American Golden P{lovers. Several times over the last couple of years, I have spent time trying to convert a Golden Plover to the rarer American variety but never very convincingly. Today straightaway this one was obvious and the difference is clear in the image below where both species are on show.
American Golden Plover are relatively rare in the UK with an average of 25 records a year. Not surprising when one considers that they have to fly across the Atlantic. They breed in the N of Canada and winter in Argentina and Uruguay so are used to long distance flights over the sea and presumably the strong run of westerlies we have had this Autumn have pushed a few across. Currently the Hebrides host several American waders including a small flock of 11 White-rumped Sandpipers.reflecting those westerly winds.
A birder's adage is that if you are not sure if a bird of prey is a Buzzard or an Eagle then it is a Buzzard. The same could be said about Golden Plover and American Golden P{lovers. Several times over the last couple of years, I have spent time trying to convert a Golden Plover to the rarer American variety but never very convincingly. Today straightaway this one was obvious and the difference is clear in the image below where both species are on show.
Whilst juveniles such as this bird are very grey with a strong eye-stripe (technically supercilium) rather than plumage the structure of the bird gives the best pointers. American Golden Plovers are smaller but more upright with longer legs, particularly the upper part, and have longer wings.
To confuse things further there is another very similar even rarer species, Pacific Golden Plover. They would be less grey and even taller but the definitive test is how many primaries (the main flight feathers) stick out beyond the tertials (the feather that cover most of them). Three or less and you are looking at Pacific, Four or more American. The small image here shows there are four, although the longest two are very close, confirming the identification as American.
To confuse things further there is another very similar even rarer species, Pacific Golden Plover. They would be less grey and even taller but the definitive test is how many primaries (the main flight feathers) stick out beyond the tertials (the feather that cover most of them). Three or less and you are looking at Pacific, Four or more American. The small image here shows there are four, although the longest two are very close, confirming the identification as American.