Very similar to other golden-plovers. At rest, the wingtips of this species extend well beyond the tail, with four or five primaries visible beyond the tertials. In flight, the undersides of the wings are gray. The upperside of the wings show an indistinct white stripe. In flight, the toes usually do not extend past the tail. Alternate Male: Upperparts are black with golden and white spangles. The white forehead and supercilium extend into a white stripe on the side of the neck, which ends abruptly at the upper breast. The face and underparts are entirely black. Alternate Female: Similar to male, but white feathers interspersed throughout black underparts create less contrast overall. Basic Adult: Dull gray-brown overall, with a bold whitish supercilium. In migration, often shows scattered black feathers on underparts and a few golden spangles above. Juvenile: Gray upperparts with whitish spangles and a bold whitish supercilium. Some individuals show golden spangles above. Underparts heavily streaked and barred pale gray-brown.

Length: 25 (cm) Wingspan: 46 (cm)

Voice:

Call is a short two-syllable ku-leep.

Habitat:

Nests on dry tundra. Winters on grasslands. Migrants found on mudflats, grasslands (especially burned areas), plowed fields.

Behavior:

During spring migration, flocks numbering into the thousands stop over to feed in the rich, freshly-plowed farm fields of the upper Midwest and Eastern Great Plains.

Feeding:

Feeds on terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, berries, seeds, and leaves.