BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Golden Plover

GOLDEN PLOVER
Pluvialis apricaria

Conservation Listings

Table 4/Amber (Wintering population)
Biodiversity Steering Group Conservation Concern List

Long term trend

UK: Unknown

Status Summary

Generally thought to have declined (Gibbons et al. 1993), Golden Plovers in the UK were monitored only poorly monitored (in summer and in winter) before the inception of the BBS. No clear trend in BBS abundance has yet emerged, however. Nest survival on grass moors, unlike that on heather moors, may have declined over time (Crick 1992a); perhaps linked to increased sheep stocking densities (Fuller 1996).

The relatively small average clutch sizes in 1996-98 are due to the receipt of a number of late-season records, that provide an unusual proportion of 2 and 3-egg clutches, from an intensive study (Pearce-Higgins, pers. comm.).

Table of population changes for Golden Plover

Source Period
(yrs) Years Plots
(n) Change
(%) Lower
limit Upper
limit Alert Comment

BBS UK 6 1994-2000 78 -12 -32 14

BBS England 6 1994-2000 25 1 -30 45 Small sample

BBS Scotland 6 1994-2000 44 -17 -39 14 Small sample

The Breeding Bird Survey is jointly funded by BTO, JNCC and RSPB

Table of productivity information for Golden Plover

Variable Period
(yrs) Years Mean
annual
sample Trend Predicted
in first year Predicted
in last year Change Comment

Clutch size 31 1968-1999 16 None Small sample

Insufficient data on brood size
available for this species

Insufficient data on nest failure
available for this species

Insufficient data on nestling failure
available for this species

Insufficient data on laying date
available for this species

Insufficient data on CES
available for this species

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This report should be cited as:
Baillie, S.R., Crick, H.Q.P., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Leech, D.I., Marchant, J.H.,
Noble, D.G., Raven, M.J., Simpkin, A.P., Thewlis, R.M. and Wernham, C.V. (2002) Breeding Birds in the Wider
Countryside: their conservation status 2001. BTO Research Report No. 278. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends)

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