Golden Plover

🔍 Overview

Scarce passage migrant in Sussex found in farmland or coastal fields.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Size: Medium (28–31 cm)

Plumage (breeding): Mottled gold and black

Non‑breeding: Grey with pale underparts

Distinctive Marks: Black belly patch in spring

Bill: Short and straight

Flight: Fast and direct

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Seen in wet grasslands, flooded fields, and on beaches during migration.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

High, fluty “twee-oo” call in flight.

🍴 Diet

Insects, worms, and small invertebrates.

📸 Birding Tip

Scan open wet fields during early migration waves—often join lapwing flocks.