Birds of North Carolina
their Distribution and Abundance
Scientific Name:
Common Name:
 Family (Alpha):
Charadriidae Members: Pacific Golden-Plover 12250
General Comments
One of the more remarkable shorebird records for the state was the discovery of a Pacific Golden-Plover, around the Salt Pond at Cape Hatteras Point (Dare), on 29 Jul 2019* (Chat 83:113) (Chat 84:79). It remained through 7 Aug 2019 and was observed and photographed by numerous people, with some photos on the Carolina Bird Club Photo Gallery. There are very few records in the eastern US for this species, which breeds in North America only in western Alaska and winters mainly on Pacific islands and south to Australia. Interestingly, this same bird (presumably) showed up at Cape Hatteras Point again from 6 Jul to 12 August 2020* (Chat 84:125), (Chat 85:141). And, perhaps not surprisingly, it again returned to Cape Hatteras Point in 2021, first seen on 8 Jul and remained to 30 Jul (Chat 85:158). One photographed several dozen miles farther to the north at the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center (Dare) on 5-9 Aug 2021 (Chat 86:31) was likely this same Cape Point individual. And, the same Cape Hatteras Point bird returned again in 2022, first noted on 6 Jul 2022 (Chat 86:98)! Not to be outdone, presumably the same bird again showed up at the Cape Point campground in 2023, this time only from 16-31 Jul* (Chat 88:54). Quite a shock was a report, with photos, of one at Alligator River NWR (Dare) in midwinter, from 11-14 Jan 2024* (Chat 88:33), (Chat 90:3). Likely this same individual was photographed there on 10 Mar 2024*(Chat 88:64), (Chat 90:4). Presumably the same fall-migrating individual that has spent time in late summer at Cape Hatteras Point in recent years was seen again in 2024, from 7-27 Jul (but not in the later summer). The bird returned in 2025 but was noted at Cape Hatteras only from 2-6 Aug. This species nests in western Alaska and westward to Siberia, and winters on various islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean; thus, it is seldom seen in the United States other than along the Pacific Coast.
Breeding Status
Nonbreeder
NC BRC List
Definitive
State Status
none
U.S. Status
Definitive
State Rank
SA
Global Rank
G5
Coastal Plain
Seven or eight records, nearly all presumably of the same individual (see above) seen annually from 2019-23. A presumably different bird has been reported slightly farther inland (see above).
Piedmont
No records.
Mountain
No records.
Finding Tips
Nearly all records have come in late summer or early fall from the sand and mud flats around the Salt Pond at Cape Hatteras Point, where the presumed same bird has occurred for the last five years (2019-23).