General Information and Characteristics
Considered to be one of the fastest flying shorebirds, reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, the American Golden Plover is a common migratory bird species found traversing the state of Illinois, as well as throughout the Midwest region. Each year, hailing from Arctic Tundra, these elusive migratory birds begin their nearly 20,000 mile journey. This yearly journey begins in Northern Canada and Alaska where they embark on a circular path to South America before crossing back over the Atlantic Ocean to return to the Arctic Tundra. During the breeding season, American Golden Plovers can be identified by their black feathers ventrally, dark feathers with black and yellow markings dorsally, and a question-mark shape of white feathers that begins above the beak trailing down around the eye and down the neck. The non-breeding morphology for this species is gray-brown with the dorsal aspect being darker than the ventral aspect and white speckling throughout the body.
Pictured above is the non-breeding morphology for the American Golden Plover. (Picture retrieved from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, photo credit to SteveByland/pond5.com.) Pictured below is an American Golden Plover hunting an earthworm (Picture retrieved from birdsoftheworld.org; photo credit to Graham Gerdeman)
American Golden Plovers are primarily insectivores, but do enjoy the occasional berry, mollusk, and crustacean. They are typically found enjoying grasshoppers, beetles, and earthworms. During the Spring, berries are of high importance being one of the few foods available to them. Interestingly, some studies have suggested that American Golden Plovers retain seeds in their digestive tract to help fuel themselves during migration. However, there has not been any promising evidence for this claim currently.
Deceptively Endangered?
During migration periods, American Golden Plovers utilize only a few habitat types, mainly grasslands, mudflats, and shorelines. They have been seen utilizing more man-made environmental areas including tilled farmland. However, due to the increases in farmland and infrastructure, native habitat options are decreasing. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the American Golden Plover is a species of least concern; however, population levels are trending down.
According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, there are times when over half of the world’s population of American Golden Plovers reside in a handful of eastern Illinois counties during their spring migration. The duration that American Golden Plovers spend in this region is around 45 days, with the individual spending around 24 days on average. In the grand scheme of things, a 45 day stopover duration may not pose any concerns. However, it should be of note the proportion of the population that potentially consolidates in this small region. It is common knowledge at this point that the country is in the middle of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. In the event that the American Golden Plover population could be afflicted by HPAI during their stopover in Illinois, a huge proportion of the population could be wiped out.
Conservation Efforts
There are a variety of ways that members of the public can get involved and contribute to the conservation of avian species like the American Golden Plover among others. One way is to connect with your local Audubon organization to stay up to date on relevant information and help distribute reputable educational materials. A direct link to find your local Audubon has been included at the end of this post.
Staying up to date on laws, regulations, and movements as they relate to conservation is also of importance, as they may not always reflect the best interest for wildlife.
SCARC, or Shorebird Conservation Acreage via Drainage Runoff Control Program, is an example of an initiative that has been explored to help make stopovers for various migratory species more welcoming and habitable. This program offers a monetary incentive for farmers to temporarily flood areas of their farmland to provide areas for migratory birds to rest and forage during their stopover. The program includes implementation of structures that allow water levels to be controlled in these areas during specific time frames. Once migratory species continue north, farmers can utilize these structures to release the water with minimal impact to their farming endeavors.
References
- American Golden Plover Facts, Illinois Department of Natural Resources
- American Golden Plover Population Classification
- Stopover Ecology of the American Golden Plover
- American Bird Conservancy Facts, American Golden Plover
- Detecting HPAI in Wild Birds, USDA
- American Golden Plover Habitat and Diet, Birds of the World
- SCARC Initiative, National Public Radio Illinois
- https://www.nprillinois.org/health-harvest/2019-04-23/one-way-to-make-flyover-country-more-welcoming-to-migrating-birds
Written By: Rachel E., class of 2027.
