The golden plover cannot boast a bright long tail or exotic fairy tail. But this migratory bird is expected and loved in many countries with a harsh climate. For example, in Iceland it is believed that it brings spring on its wings. The onset of heat of golden plovers is associated with the return of heat.
Short description
Golden plover is a bird from the charadriiformes order. The order includes many families united by the name Charadriiformes, and the genus Charadriiformes includes at least 4 species. Specifically, a golden plover, in Latin Pluvialis apricaria, is classified as a southern subspecies.
The golden plover is not very large in size. The length of her body usually does not exceed 29 cm. The maximum weight that she managed to fix was 220 g. The wingspan of a bird is from 65 to 76 cm. The golden plover looks a bit awkward. The bird has a small rounded head, a massive body and elongated thin legs.
Color
The color of the bird changes throughout life. The upper side (head, neck, back and part of the tail) is gray-brown with variegated golden blots. This plumage helps the golden plover perfectly merge with the surrounding nature, hiding from enemies. In the mating season, males have jewelry made of black feathers bordered by a white contrasting stripe. A black spot can begin on the throat, under the beak, and stretch through the entire abdomen to the tail itself. Contrasting colors highlight males and attract females. The female, like the male, also has a darker plumage on his stomach. But it is not so dense and black, so it is not so noticeable.
The mating color stays with males almost until the end of August. Gradually it fades, being replaced by a “winter” feather. In nesting time (from mid to late June) there is still a beautiful black apron, and before departure (early September) the change of outfit is completely completed.
The young golden plover is colored a little differently. In chicks, the abdomen is covered with a white delicate feather. And the back is gray-golden, with thin white stripes. The young growth has a uniformly yellow color of the breast and belly with small dark scales. Young males do not have a black apron.
Golden plover acquires adult color in a year. At this time, young animals are distinguished from the old relatives only by the state of the fly and tail feathers. In older birds, the feather is somewhat frayed.
In a bird, the photo of which was taken in flight, the color difference of the upper and lower parts of the wing is clearly noticeable. The golden plover has a mating outfit, and in winter color, the lower part of the wing is white, with brown feathers at the very end.
Spread
Golden plovers prefer open marshy places, mountain meadows, vacant lots or tundra. Distribution area - Northern Europe. Birds hibernate on the British Isles and on the West and South coasts of Europe. In fact, it occurs from the territories of Iceland and Great Britain, to the center of Siberia. In Central Europe, the bird has almost disappeared.
In general, birds from the Plover family are most conveniently observed on wadded coastal shallows. These land areas are flooded during high tides, and after low tides a large amount of food remains on them.
What do they eat
The diet of this species of birds is very diverse. The main menu is insects, worms and snails. This feed can be found in large quantities on the ground. Golden plover in large numbers eats bugs, various larvae, dragonflies and spiders. Can eat small locusts. Stopping to rest during migration, the golden plover eats mollusks and crustaceans. Plant foods are also present in the diet, but in small quantities. It can be seeds, green plants and marsh species of berries.
Lifestyle
Golden Plovers often live in colonies, which include representatives of not only their species, but also others. It can be curlews or snails. In nesting areas, the species returns at the height of melting snow. The bird's nest is organized in the recesses of the soil. Most often, they master marshy mounds (bumps) or the foot of pines. Places are chosen non-grassy, avoid the proximity of shrubs and moist watery areas. However, very dry land with sparse vegetation of golden plovers is also not to their liking. Many plovers return to last year's nesting area. The period of currenting and pair formation is spring.
Birds fly to catch during the day, but if there is little feed, then golden plovers can hunt in the evening.
The spring flight of golden plovers to their native places takes place from March to the second part of April. In autumn, birds fly to warmer climes in September - November.
What is the voice of a golden plover?
Of course, the golden plover does not compete with the nightingale, but her song is full of a kind of charm. The male’s song is called live streaming. It rises high into the air and flows, flapping its wings evenly. The wedding song always consists of two couplets-parts. In the first part, the male makes separate two-syllable whistles. This is a beautiful and leisurely part, which is repeated many times with small stops. The second part of the current is more hasty, and the whistles in it sound without intervals.
If the bird worries in the nest, then the whistle acquires an annoying sad tone. In this case, the sounds are monosyllabic, multiple and monotonous. With the same monosyllabic whistles, the golden plovers echo in the pack.
Breeding
Southern Golden Plover begins nesting in 1-2 years. Many year-old birds roam from summer to summer. After choosing a place for the nest, the birds line it with a thick layer of plant material. The female lays 4 eggs, the interval between which can be 2-4 days. The height of the eggs is about 52 mm; their color is yellow-brown. In this case, brown spots are located closer to the blunt edge of the egg.
The family of plovers will sit on masonry for 30 days. Male and female do this in turn. Then the chicks appear, which from the first days begin to show independence. Small birds, whose photo causes an explosion of emotion, in fact, can immediately get their own food. They need parental care more to protect themselves from predators. I must say that golden plovers are bold birds! They selflessly lead predators away from the nest with chicks, pretending to be wounded. At the same time, they make sure that the distance between them and the predator remains small, so that it does not lose interest and does not return to the nest.
Strength and security measures
The number of southern golden plover within Russia does not exceed 2 thousand pairs. In the periods of spring and autumn migration, about 500 individuals cross the territory of our country. The reduction in the number of golden plover is due to the shooting and disappearance of places for nesting.
Since the range of the golden plover is limited, and the number is falling, the bird is listed in the Red Book of Russia.