Habitat

The American Golden-Plover nests primarily in arctic and subarctic tundra, occasionally to montane tundra. Distinct differences in topographic and vegetative requirements were found in regions sympatric with the Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) on the Seward Peninsula (37 Connors, P. G., B. J. McCaffery, and J. L. Maron (1993). Speciation in golden-plovers, Pluvialis dominica and P. fulva: evidence from the breeding grounds. Auk 110:9–20. Close ). The American Golden-Ploverusually nests in sparse, low vegetation on higher, well-drained rocky slopes. The Pacific Golden-Plover typically nests in dense vegetation on lower, drier to moist areas with fewer rocks (see Breeding: Nest Site). However, reversals of this pattern have occurred at some sites on the Seward Peninsula (118 Johnson, O. W., P. L. Bruner, A. E. Bruner, and P. M. Johnson (2007c). American Golden-Plovers on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska: a new longevity record for the species and other breeding ground observations. Wader Study Group Bulletin 114:56–59. Close ; O.W. Johnson, unpublished data). Similar rocky, dry tundra nesting places are preferred by the American Golden-Plover elsewhere (46 Parmelee, D. F., H. A. Stephens, and R. H. Schmidt (1967). The birds of Southeastern Victoria Island and adjacent small islands. National Museum of Canada Bulletin 222. Close , 119 Jehl, J. R., Jr., and B. A. Smith (1970). Birds of the Churchill region, Manitoba. Special Publication no. 1. Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Close , 120 Martin, P. D., and C. S. Moiteret (1981). Bird populations and habitat use, Canning River delta, Alaska. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Close , 121 Montgomerie, R. D., R. D. Cartar, R. L. McLaughlin, and B. Lyon (1983). Birds of Sarcpa Lake, Melville Peninsula, Northwest Territories: breeding phenologies, densities and biogeography. Arctic 36:65–75. Close ), although in some areas, moist habitats with taller vegetation are also used (122 Miller, P. A., C. S. Moitoret, and M. A. Masteller (1985b). Species accounts of migratory birds at three study areas on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Alaska, 1984. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fairbanks, AK, USA. Close , 123 Byrkjedal, I. (1989b). Nest habitat and nesting success of Lesser Golden-Plovers. Wilson Bulletin 101:93–96. Close , 124 Jehl, J. R., Jr. (2004a). Birdlife of the Churchill Region: Status, History, Biology. Trafford, Victoria, BC, Canada. Close , 82 Nouvet, S., S. Wilson, and K. Martin (2008). Breeding records of the Surfbird, Wandering Tattler, American Golden-Plover, and Upland Sandpiper in the southwest Yukon Territory. Western Birds 39:22–30. Close ). In arctic Alaska, the nesting frequency of the American Golden-Plover was slightly higher in the Brooks Range foothills than on the adjacent moist Beaufort Coastal Plain (125 Johnson, J. A., R. B. Lanctot, B. A. Andres, J. R. Bart, S. C. Brown, S. J. Kendall, and D. C. Payer (2007b). Distribution of breeding shorebirds on the arctic coastal plain of Alaska. Arctic 60:277–293. Close ).

Habitat in Migration

Plovers use a variety of inland and coastal habitats, both natural and human-made, throughout the year: native prairies, pastures, tilled farmland, untilled harvested fields, burned fields, mudflats, shorelines, and estuaries. Tundra ridges and hillsides blown free of snow are habitats in early spring.

Habitat in Overwintering Range

During the winter months, the American Golden-Plover primarily inhabits grasslands amidst the Rio de la Plata, encompassing the pampas in east-central Argentina and the campos in Uruguay and southern Brazil. The entire region has been dramatically affected by agricultural development (similar to the prairies of North America), resulting in substantial reductions of the original grasslands. (126 Bucher, E. H., and M. Nores (1988a). Present status of birds in steppes and savannas of northern and central Argentina. In Ecology and Conservation of Grassland Birds (P. Goriup, Editor). International Council for Bird Preservation Technical Publication 7. Close , 127 Soriano, A., R. J. C. León, O. E. Sala, R. S. Lavado, V. A. Deregibus, M. A. Cauhépé, O. A. Scaglia, C. A. Velázquez, and J. H. Lemcoff (1991). Río de la Plata Grasslands. In Natural Grasslands. Elsevier, New York, NY, USA. pp. 367–407. Close , 128 Blanco, D. E., R. B. Lanctot, J. P. Isacch, and V. A. Gill (2004). Temperate grasslands of southern South America as habitat for migratory shorebirds. Ornitología Neotropical 15:159–167. Close , 106 Clay, R. P., A. J. Lesterhuis, and O. Johnson (2010). Conservation plan for the American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica). Version 1.1. Manomet Center Conservation Science, Manomet, MA, USA. Close , 129 Azpiroz, A. B., J. P. Isacch, R. A. Dias, A. S. Di Giacomo, C. S. Fontana, and C. M. Palarea (2012). Ecology and conservation of grassland birds in southeastern South America: A review. Journal of Field Ornithology 83:217–246. Close ). Croplands and urban areas are much less favorable for the American Golden-Plover compared to grazed grasslands (117 Blanco, D. E., R. Banchs, and P. Canevari (1993). Critical sites for the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis), and other Nearctic grassland shorebirds in Argentina and Uruguay. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC, USA. Close , 130 Isacch, J. P., and M. M. Martínez (2003). Habitat use by non-breeding shorebirds in flooding pampas grasslands of Argentina. Waterbirds 26:494–500. Close , 131 Azpiroz, A. B., and J. G. Blake (2009). Avian assemblages in altered and natural grasslands in the Northern Campos of Uruguay. Condor 111:21–35. Close ), though this species is commonly found in rice fields throughout its South American overwintering range (132 Blanco, D. E., B. López-Lanús, R. A. Dias, A. Azpiroz, and F. Rilla (2006). Use of rice fields by migratory shorebirds in southern South America: Implications for conservation and management. Wetlands International, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Close ; also see Conservation and Management: Effects of Human Activity). Some individuals overwinter in coastal wetlands, mainly in southern Brazil and Uruguay, fewer in Argentina, and very few in Chile (115 Morrison, R. I. G., and R. K. Ross (1989). Atlas of Neararctic shorebirds on the coast of South America. Volume 1. Canadian Wildlife Service Special Publication. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Close ). In some areas, birds foraging along the coast during low tides move to uplands with high tides (133 Blanco, D. E. (1998). Habitat use by three shorebird species (Pluvialis dominica, Limosa haemastica and Calidris fuscicollis) in relation to tide in Punta Rasa, Argentina. Revista Chilena De Historia Natural 71:87–94. Close ).