Identification
Fairly common but often local, breeding on moorland and tundra, wintering in grasslands, fields, and less often coastal mudflats. Migrant and wintering birds often flock with lapwings. Smaller than Black-bellied (Gray) Plover, which has gray or silvery upperparts. All plumages of Golden are spangled and spotted golden above; breeding plumage has variable black on face and belly. Nonbreeding plumage is buffy golden overall with white belly. In flight shows bright white underwings, narrow whitish wing stripe.