| Pluvialis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 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 | |
Pluvialis is a genus ofplovers, a group ofwadingbirds comprising four species that breed in the temperate orArcticNorthern Hemisphere.
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.
ThegenusPluvialis was described by the French zoologistMathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with theEuropean golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) as thetype species.[1][2] The genus name isLatin and means relating to rain, frompluvia, "rain". It was believed that they flocked when rain was imminent.[3]
The genus contains four species:[4]
| Breeding Plumage | Non-breeding Plumage | Common Name | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | European golden plover | Pluvialis apricaria | Arctic tundra and other palearctic areas |
 |  | Pacific golden plover | Pluvialis fulva | Arctic regions of Siberia and Alaska |
|  | American golden plover | Pluvialis dominica | Arctic tundra from northern Canada and Alaska. |
 | _RWD.jpg) | Grey plover or black-bellied plover | Pluvialis squatarola | cosmopolitan |
The American and Pacific golden plovers were formerly consideredconspecific as "lesser golden plover".[5]
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Authority control databases: National |
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