The European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) is a medium sized, short-billed wader that breeds in the boreal and arctic zones from Iceland in the west through Great Britain and Scandinavia east to western Siberia.

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Description

The European golden plover is a medium sized, short-billed wader.

Distribution

The European golden plover breeds in boreal and arctic zones from Iceland in the west through Great Britain and Scandinavia east to western Siberia.

In Svalbard, the European golden plover has been found breeding on Bjørnøya and western Spitsbergen.

Single individuals and pairs are observed annually in Spitsbergen, and it is likely that the species probably breeds or attempts to breed annually in the region. The estimation of the breeding population is around 1–10 pairs.

General ecology

The European golden plover is a migratory species that winters along the west coast of Europe and North Africa.

Management status and monitoring

The European golden plover is breeding irregularly and / or in few numbers in Svalbard, and often within geographically restricted areas.

Svalbard is on the verge of their spread, and their appearance may vary as a result of changes in the core areas of the species. However, The European golden plover can still be observed annually in the archipelago or in the surrounding waters.