Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Pacific Golden-Plover

CharadriidaeShorebirdsPluvialis fulva

Pacific Golden-Plover has edged down: down 21% on the route-weighted index since 1995.

-21%Since 1995
13Routes
31Years Surveyed

About the Pacific Golden-Plover

The Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva) is a North American member of the Plovers & Lapwings (Charadriidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the shorebirds.

Size
6–12 in long (15–30 cm) — a small to medium shorebird (typical for the family)
Habitat
Shorelines, mudflats, beaches, flooded fields and wet meadows.
Diet
Invertebrates probed or picked from mud, sand and shallow water.
Range
Recorded on 13 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 1 state, most concentrated in the BCR 2.
Family
Charadriidae · Shorebirds

Notable Pacific Golden-Plover Trends

No notable trend signals for Pacific Golden-Plover. See the full index history below.

Pacific Golden-Plover Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Pacific Golden-Plover is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.01). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±104.9%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

n/aChange by 2029
0.00Projected 2029 index
0.000.0195% range
±104.9%Backtest error
19932029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected index95% low95% high
20250.000.000.01
20260.000.000.01
20270.000.000.01
20280.000.000.01
20290.000.000.01

Where the Pacific Golden-Plover Is Detected

BBS routes recording Pacific Golden-Plover, sized by most recent count.

Pacific Golden-Plover Population Trend by State

Pacific Golden-Plover population trend by state.
Alaska-19%199513

Pacific Golden-Plover Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Pacific Golden-Plover population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
BCR 2-14%199511

Pacific Golden-Plover Conservation Status

Our route-weighted index shows it down about 20% since 1995. Many shorebirds have declined steeply, reflecting pressure on the coastal and wetland stopovers they depend on.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.