Order:
Charadriiformes
Family: Charadridae
Pluvialis apricaria
European Golden Plover / Chorlito dorado europeo
Maximum size: 28 cm
Habitat
They live in farmlands, steppes, marshes, and the edge of lagoons with
farmland nearby. They favour reed and bulrush vegetation areas where they
can conceal, as well as farmlands ranging from sea-level to 650 m altitude.
They move in small flocks mingled with European Golden Plovers. They
feed on insects and invertebrates in general. They winter in the Iberian
Peninsula. Their ochre and golden plumage gives them the perfect camouflage
in dry vegetation environments. They are extremely difficult to be
watched but they can sometimes be seen on the beaches next to dunes, and
at the edge of marshes and low vegetation areas.