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Pluvialis dominica

(Müller, 1776)

American Golden-Plover

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100680
Element CodeABNNB02030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyCharadriidae
GenusPluvialis
Other Common Names
Batuiruçu (PT) Chorlo Dominico, Playero Dorado (ES) Pluvier bronzé (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Pluvialis dominica and P. fulva formerly were regarded as conspecific (P. dominica). Connors et al. (1993) documented clear and consistent differences in breeding vocalizations and nesting habitat, and strict assortative mating in areas of sympatry in western Alaska; they concluded that P. dominica and P. fulva are distinct species. Sibley and Monroe (1990) and AOU (1993) also treated these taxa as separate species. See AOU (1995) for explanation of change in spelling of specific name from dominica to dominicus. Species of Pluvialis were formerly (AOU 1983, 1998) placed in the subfamily Charadriinae, but genetic data (Baker et al. 2007, Barth et al. 2013, Dos Remedios et al. 2015, Cerný and Natale 2022) indicate that Pluvialis forms a deeply diverged sister lineage to the rest of the plovers (AOS 2024).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-09
Change Date1996-11-25
Edition Date2014-06-24
Edition AuthorsJue, Dean K.
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Rank Reasons
This species still ranks in the 100,000s and does not appear to be threatened at this point in time (Birdlife International, 2014; National Audubon Society, 20114).
Range Extent Comments
BREEDS: northern North America, from Baffin Island in Canada west to western Alaska. NORTHERN WINTER: Bolivia, Uruguay, and southern Brazil south to northern Chile and northern Argentina (some present in Central and South America in northern summer).
Occurrences Comments
This species breeds across northern Canada from Manitoba west to Alaska. With such a range and an estimated population size of about 200,000, (Johnson and Connors, 2010), here should be at least 81 or more EOs.
Threat Impact Comments
Breeding sites are relatively secure but winter ranges and migratory routes are less secure. The species continues to be hunted in some countries but this species does not appear to be threatened at this time (National Audubon Society, 2014).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Nonbreeding: short grasslands, pastures, golf courses, mudflats, sandy beaches, and flooded fields (AOU 1983). Nests on grassy tundra; prefers dry upland areas. The nest is a shallow scraped-out depression, lined with mosses, leaves, grass, and lichens. In western Alaska, where DOMINICA and FULVA are sympatric, DOMINICA nests occurred more often in areas of higher elevation and slope, with sparser and shorter vegetation, and more rocks; FULVA nests were usually at lower elevations in denser and taller vegetative cover; both forms used relatively dry upland tundra (Connors et al. 1993).

Reproduction

Breeding begins late May in south to early or mid-June in north (Harrison 1978). Usually 4 eggs are incubated (by male during the day, by female at night) for 26 days (Terres 1980). Young are precocial, tended by both adults. Monogamous. Some begin breeding at 1 year.
Terrestrial Habitats
Grassland/herbaceousTundraSand/duneCropland/hedgerow
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN3B,N5M
ProvinceRankNative
Island of NewfoundlandS2MYes
British ColumbiaS3BYes
Prince Edward IslandS2MYes
Nova ScotiaS2MYes
ManitobaS3BYes
LabradorS3MYes
Yukon TerritoryS3BYes
AlbertaS1B,S4MYes
Northwest TerritoriesS3Yes
SaskatchewanS5MYes
New BrunswickS2MYes
QuebecS3BYes
OntarioS2B,S4MYes
NunavutS3BYes
United StatesN5B
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNAYes
PennsylvaniaS2MYes
New YorkSNRNYes
North CarolinaSNAYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
District of ColumbiaS1NYes
MassachusettsS2NYes
OregonSNAYes
MarylandSNAYes
MinnesotaSNRMYes
IndianaS3MYes
IowaS5NYes
KentuckySNAYes
HawaiiSNRYes
NevadaSNAYes
VirginiaSNAYes
UtahSNAYes
MontanaSNAYes
WyomingS4NYes
MaineS2NYes
ArizonaS1MYes
IdahoS1MYes
North DakotaSNAYes
MississippiS3MYes
ColoradoSNAYes
GeorgiaSNRNYes
TennesseeS3NYes
OhioSNAYes
South CarolinaS3MYes
South DakotaSNAYes
AlabamaSNRMYes
New HampshireSNAYes
LouisianaS3MYes
FloridaS3MYes
WashingtonS3NYes
KansasS3NYes
MichiganSNRNYes
WisconsinS3NYes
Navajo NationS2MYes
West VirginiaSNAYes
New JerseyS4NYes
IllinoisSNAYes
AlaskaS5BYes
MissouriSNAYes
OklahomaS2NYes
TexasS3Yes
VermontSNAYes
ArkansasS3MYes
Rhode IslandS2NYes
NebraskaSNRNYes
DelawareS2MYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (5)
Alaska (2)
AreaForestAcres
Boston BarChugach National Forest53,617
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
Pennsylvania (1)
AreaForestAcres
Tracy RidgeAllegheny National Forest9,034
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
WellsvilleWasatch-Cache National Forest1,717
Wyoming (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pacific Creek - Blackrock CreekBridger-Teton National Forest24,658
References (37)
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