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European Golden Plovers are relatively small waders. Their plumage is highly cryptic. When seen in Europe, they are usually, but not always, in eclipse plumage. During the non-breeding season the sides of the head are matt golden, with small darker greyish patches on the ear coverts. Neck and chest are golden, with fine darker greyish streaking. The head and back have darker streaking yet, while the wings are golden and dark-grey scalloped. The underparts, from belly to undertail, are off-white. During the breeding season their front (face below the eyes, front and of the neck, chest and belly) is black, with broad white lining from the forehead via the eyebrow along the sides to the flanks. The vent and undertail coverts are grey. The back (cap, nape of the neck, mantle upperwings and uppertail) remains intricately mottled golden and dark-grey. Note that during the breeding season the axillaries are white! While males and females are very much alike, there are subtle differences during the breeding breeding season. "Northern" males tend to be all-black down the front, while "southern" males have less black. "Northern" females have about the same amount of black on their front as "southern" males, while "southern" females have less black yet, which also tends to be patchy. The irises of both sexes are dark-brown. The bill is dull black, while the legs and feet are dark-grey.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the European Golden Plover is available HERE .

The breeding range of the European Golden Plover extends from some locations in western Greenland, via Iceland and Svalbard to almost all of northern Europe on into the tundra of northwestern and central northern Russia. They overwinter in western Europe, the north-west African coastal fringe, parts of south-eastern Europe and in some locations in Asia Minor, the Middle East and northern Egypt (the Nile delta).

In continental Europe the breeding range of the European Golden Plover encompasses almost all of Scandinavia (except the Baltic Sea coastal fringe), the Baltic states, the northern parts of Bielorussia, the north-eastern corner of Poland and north-western Russia. They also breed in Scotland and associated islands and in some locations in north-western Ireland. They are sedentary only in the midlands of England. The migratory populations overwinter in the southern parts of the British Isles, continental Europe westward of a line connecting the German Wattensee with the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, along the Po River in Italy and along the eastern Adriatic coastline, plus parts of Greece (except the Peloponnes) and along its coastline towards the western Black Sea. They can also be found on the Balearic Islands and on the southern tips of Corsica and Sicily.

European Golden Plovers are present in a diverse range of habitats. While breeding on moors and tundra, also on mountain sides above the treeline, outside the breeding season they can be found in various habitats such as grassland, pasture, bogs, mudflats and fields. Although also found in coastal habitats, European Golden Plovers are NOT a coastal species.

J. Pires reports spotting European Golden Plovers occasionally during the non-breeding season in various locations in near-coastal southern/central Portugal.

In September 2024, H. Dahlem-Senger found several European Golden Plovers at Neuharlingersiel, Ostfriesland, Germany.

A. Sarok reports finding European Golden Plovers in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024.