The golden plover cannot boast of a bright long tail or exotic fabulous plumage. But this migratory bird is expected and loved in many countries with a harsh climate. For example, in Iceland it is believed that she brings spring on her wings. With the return of flocks of golden plovers, the onset of heat is associated.
Short description
Golden plover is a bird from the order Charadriiformes. The order includes many families united by the name Plovers, and the genus Plovers includes at least 4 species. Specifically, the 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 has been recorded is 220 g. The wingspan of a bird is from 65 to 76 cm. The golden plover looks a little awkward. The bird has a small rounded head, a massive body and elongated thin legs.
Color
The color of a bird changes throughout life. The upper side (head, neck, back and part of the tail) is gray-brown with variegated golden patches. This plumage helps the golden plover to blend in perfectly with its surroundings.nature, hiding from enemies. During the mating season, males appear ornaments of black feathers, bordered by a white contrasting stripe. A black spot can begin on the throat, just under the beak, and stretch through the entire abdomen to the very tail. Contrasting colors highlight males and attract females. The female, like the male, also has a darker plumage on the abdomen. But it is not so dense and black, so it is not so noticeable.
Mating color lasts for males almost until the end of August. Gradually it fades, being replaced by a "winter" feather. During 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.
Young golden plover is colored slightly differently. In chicks, the abdomen is covered with a white delicate feather. And the back is gray-golden, with thin white stripes. Juveniles have a uniformly yellow color of the breast and belly with small dark scales. Young males do not have a black apron.
The golden plover acquires an adult color in a year. At this time, only the condition of the flight and tail feathers distinguishes the young from the old relatives. In older birds, the feather is somewhat worn.
The bird, the photo of which was taken in flight, has a clearly visible difference in the color of the upper and lower parts of the wing. In the golden plover in breeding plumage, and in winter color, the lower part of the wing is white, with brownish feathers at the very end.
Distribution
Golden plovers prefer open swampy places, mountain meadows, wastelands or tundra. areadistribution - Northern Europe. Birds winter in the British Isles and on the Western and Southern coasts of Europe. In fact, it is found 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 best observed on wattled coastal shallows. These areas of land are flooded during high tide, and after low tide there is a large amount of food left on them.
What do they eat
The diet of this bird species is very diverse. The main menu includes insects, worms and snails. This food can be found in large quantities on the ground. Golden plover eats beetles, various larvae, dragonflies and spiders in large numbers. It can snack on medium-sized specimens of locust. Stopping to rest during migration, the golden plover feeds on molluscs and crustaceans. Plant foods are also present in the diet, but in small quantities. These can be seeds, green plants and marsh berry species.
Lifestyle
Golden plovers often live in colonies, which include representatives not only of their own species, but also of others. It can be curlews or snails. The species returns to nesting areas at the height of snowmelt. The nest of the bird is organized in the recesses of the ground. Most often they master marshy mounds (hummocks) or the foot of pines. Places are chosen non-grassy, avoid the proximity of shrubs and damp watery areas. However, very dry lands with sparse vegetationgolden plovers also do not like it. Many plovers return to the last year's nesting area. The period of mating and pair formation is spring.
Birds fly out for fishing during the day, but if food is scarce, golden plovers can hunt in the evening.
Spring migration 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 the golden plover?
Of course, the golden plover will not compete with the nightingale, but its song is full of a peculiar charm. The song of the male is called displaying. It rises high into the air and currents, evenly flapping its wings. The marriage song always consists of two couplets-parts. In the first part, the male emits separate two-syllable whistles. This is a beautiful and unhurried part, which is repeated many times with small stops. The second part of the talk is more hasty, and the whistles in it sound without gaps.
If the bird is restless in the nest, the whistle takes on an annoying sad intonation. In this case, the sounds are monosyllabic, repeated and monotonous. With the same monosyllabic whistles, golden plovers call to each other in a flock.
Reproduction
Southern golden plover starts nesting at 1-2 years old. Many one-year-old birds roam from place to place all 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. Egg heightabout 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 have 30 days to sit on the masonry. Male and female do this in turn. Then chicks appear, which from the first days begin to show independence. Small birds, the photo of which causes an explosion of tenderness, in fact, can immediately get their own food. They need parental supervision more to protect them from predators. I must say that golden plovers are brave 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.
Numbers and conservation measures
The number of southern golden plover within Russia does not exceed 2 thousand pairs. During the periods of spring and autumn migration, about 500 individuals cross the territory of our country. The decline in the number of golden plover is due to the shooting and the disappearance of nesting sites.
Since the range of the golden plover is limited, and the number is falling, the bird is listed in the Red Book of Russia.
