Golden Plover
Latin: Pluvialis apricaria (Linné 1758)
Svenska: Ljungpipare
Deutsch: Goldregenpfeifer
Melancholy
Gustav Kolthoff, who built Biotopia in 1910, told his son that the golden plover was very common in Uppland in 1882. Today, there are not nearly as many. Perhaps that's why their song sounds so mournful?
Only a few mating pairs build nests in Uppland - most golden plovers nest in the mountains. Sometimes, large flocks of these birds can be seen resting at Lövstaslätten in May and August.
Golden plovers pass by Uppland during their migration from late July to late October. They spend the winter in western Europe, and return in April. The birds who nest in Norrland, though, return in May.
Photo: Johan Södercrantz©
Latest sightings of golden plovers in Uppland
NatureGate on the European golden plover
Wikipedia article on the European golden plover