American Golden Plover - Pluvialis dominica

Resembles a long-legged Golden Plover with shorter neck and longer wings. Adult breeding Plumage pattern and tones recall those of Golden Plover but differ in darker mantle and scapulars, black belly and vent (with ? and most ?? lacking white flank band below folded wing and almost white vent of Golden Plover), and fulvous-grey or dusky-buff axillaries and under wing-coverts. Appears much darker than Golden Plover at distance. Adult winter Plumage pattern recalls that of Golden Plover but at close range, shows more definite contrast between dark grey-brown crown and pale forehead and supercilium, crown and grey nape, and pale throat and mottled grey chest. Feather markings on grey-brown upperparts less complex, mainly restricted to thin pale golden margins and lacking numerous golden spangles of Golden Plover. Appears greyer than most Golden Plover at distance. Juvenile Resembles winter adult but differs from it and juvenile Golden Plover in having almost white forehead and supercilium (particularly head on), darker upperparts (with more sharply contrasting and predominantly cream notches and tips to feathers), obvious dull brown, softly barred chest, and full, rather uniform brown-grey, mottled underparts (lacking obviously white belly). Appears greyer at distance than P. apricaria.

In winter quarters and on migration on short pasture, prairie, mudflats, shores of lakes and rivers, etc..

Most likely from late July until early November but has occurred during other moths.

In the breeding season it is found mainly in Arctic Tundra and subarctic tundra in North America that winters in South America on grasslands and mud flats.

It is a regular vagrant to the UK now appearing annually in small numbers.

The only record prior to 2006 was at Rutland Water on November 2nd, 1996 and presumably the same bird was then seen at Eyebrook Reservoir on December 4th & 8th.