The three species of golden plovers are all famous as world travelers, migrating between Arctic breeding grounds and distant wintering sites (some far into the southern hemisphere).   Many of these images show a Pacific golden-plover in transition from breeding into winter plumage; others show the winter or juvenile plumage.   In the continental US, these elegant birds are rarely seen, mainly during their long migrations (this species usually winters in Southeast Asia and Australia).  Like other golden-plovers, they lay their four large eggs directly on the ground.
       Another page shows the breeding plumage of the very similar American-golden plover, which has a less extensive white band around the black throat and breast than the Pacific golden-plover.   The more subdued winter and juvenile plumages of both speices (Pacific below; American shown here) can be confused with that of the similar but larger black-bellied plover (one image shows some out-of-focus black-bellied plovers as a size comparison).  These photos were all taken in Pacific Grove and nearby Elkhorn Slough, California.

• Canon R5; 800 mm IS + 1.4X converter (2021)
  
• Nikon F2, Kodachrome 64; Leitz 560 mm f5.6 lens (1977)