Pluvialis

Genus of birds From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pluvialis

Pluvialis is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere.

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Pluvialis
Thumb
American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Charadriidae
Subfamily: Charadriinae
Genus: Pluvialis
Brisson, 1760
Type species
Charadrius apricarius
(= Pluvialis apricaria)
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

see text

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In breeding plumage, they all have largely black underparts, and golden or silvery upperparts. They have relatively short bills and feed mainly on insects, worms or other invertebrates, depending on habitat, which are obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups. They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as do longer-billed waders.

Taxonomy

The genus Pluvialis was described by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) as the type species.[1][2] The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that they flocked when rain was imminent.[3]

The genus contains four species:[4]

More information Breeding Plumage, Non-breeding Plumage ...
Breeding PlumageNon-breeding PlumageCommon NameScientific nameDistribution
ThumbThumbEuropean golden ploverPluvialis apricariaArctic tundra and other palearctic areas
ThumbThumbPacific golden ploverPluvialis fulvaArctic regions of Siberia and Alaska
ThumbThumbAmerican golden ploverPluvialis dominicaArctic tundra from northern Canada and Alaska.
ThumbThumbGrey plover or black-bellied ploverPluvialis squatarolacosmopolitan
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The American and Pacific golden plovers were formerly considered conspecific as "lesser golden plover".[5]

References

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