Peatland wildlife

Goldenp plover (Pluvialis apricaria)

Golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria)

The golden plover is a summer inhabitant of upland blanket bog. In winter it is found at lower altitudes on wet grassland and on the coast. It emits a distinctive plaintive call during display flight. There is a limited resident breeding population in Northern Ireland with a much larger wintering population found in the southern half of the country.

Description

In summer the adult golden plover has gold-speckled upper body plumage with a black belly, although females have less black colouring than males. The chicks have more white colouring than the adults. In winter the golden plover is golden above and white below.

Behaviour

Golden plovers feed mainly on invertebrates such as beetles and earthworms but may also eat some plant material. In summer, feeding is restricted to 2-5km from the nest. The male flies high in the sky with a slow shallow wing action emitting their distinctive sad call.

Breeding

The plover hides its sparsely-lined nests in mossy hummocks of upland blanket bogs. The female usually lays three or four eggs towards the end of April and incubated them for four weeks. During this time the male remains on guard to sound the alarm and distract any intruder.

Status

Local

Afforestation of its upland habitat is considered to be the reason for the decline in the breeding population. Winter feeding grounds are also in decline. In Northern Ireland the golden plover is listed in Schedule 1, Part 2, of the Wildlife Order. This means the golden plover is specially protected during the close season from 1 February to the 31 August.

European

The golden plover is listed in Annex I, and II of the Birds Directive, Appendix III of the Bern Convention and Appendix II of the Bonn Convention