The Pacific Golden Plover Migration Routes
by Owen Borville
June 29, 2020
Biology
The Pacific Golden Plover makes one of the longest migratory routes among birds, a non-stop flight from Alaska and Siberia to Hawaii, a 3,000 mile trip.
The plover makes this trip at a relatively small size, at 8 ounces, a length of 23–26 cm (9-10 in) and a wingspan of 44 cm (17 in).
There are no islands between Alaska/Siberia and Hawaii, the plover can't swim, and therefore the plover must make this flight non-stop.
The 88-hour, 3-day, 4-night flight causes this bird to lose half of its body mass. It also must eat adequately before making the trip.
The parent plovers live in Alaska from May to August, forage for food, mate, nest, lay their eggs, and wait for the young to hatch. In August while the chicks are days old, the parents leave their young behind in Alaska and fly to Hawaii without them. Young plovers can run soon after hatching. The young have to grow and bulk up on food and water. About October the grown-up plovers leave for Hawaii. By the end of April or early May, all the plovers will have left Hawaii and journeyed the 2,000 miles back to Alaska. For Hawaiians the coming and going of the plovers mark the changing of the seasons.
They are known for arriving in the same location in Hawaii every year, even the same spot. This amazing behavior is difficult to explain but the plover somehow makes these migrations.
Evolutionist explanations are difficult as plovers failing to make the trip would perish in the ocean. The first plover must have arrived correctly the first time.
After Hawaii, the plover commonly makes stops in FIji and other South Pacific Islands all the way to New Zealand. Next are stops in southeast Asia and northeast Africa.
Pacific golden plovers breed in the Siberian tundra and in West Alaska in June-July. Males usually return to the same nest site, even to the same spot. They form monogamous pairs and both help incubate the eggs.
The American Plover
The American plover has a different migratory route than the Pacific Golden plover, migrating from Alaska to South America.
Camouflage
Plovers are nicely camouflaged with a spotted gold and black body color to avoid predators and can nest on the ground. When threatened, the parent plover distracts the predator from the nest or chicks by pretending to have a broken wing.
The plover eats insects, invertebrates, berries, leaves, and seeds while having a lifespan of 15 years.
by Owen Borville
June 29, 2020
Biology
The Pacific Golden Plover makes one of the longest migratory routes among birds, a non-stop flight from Alaska and Siberia to Hawaii, a 3,000 mile trip.
The plover makes this trip at a relatively small size, at 8 ounces, a length of 23–26 cm (9-10 in) and a wingspan of 44 cm (17 in).
There are no islands between Alaska/Siberia and Hawaii, the plover can't swim, and therefore the plover must make this flight non-stop.
The 88-hour, 3-day, 4-night flight causes this bird to lose half of its body mass. It also must eat adequately before making the trip.
The parent plovers live in Alaska from May to August, forage for food, mate, nest, lay their eggs, and wait for the young to hatch. In August while the chicks are days old, the parents leave their young behind in Alaska and fly to Hawaii without them. Young plovers can run soon after hatching. The young have to grow and bulk up on food and water. About October the grown-up plovers leave for Hawaii. By the end of April or early May, all the plovers will have left Hawaii and journeyed the 2,000 miles back to Alaska. For Hawaiians the coming and going of the plovers mark the changing of the seasons.
They are known for arriving in the same location in Hawaii every year, even the same spot. This amazing behavior is difficult to explain but the plover somehow makes these migrations.
Evolutionist explanations are difficult as plovers failing to make the trip would perish in the ocean. The first plover must have arrived correctly the first time.
After Hawaii, the plover commonly makes stops in FIji and other South Pacific Islands all the way to New Zealand. Next are stops in southeast Asia and northeast Africa.
Pacific golden plovers breed in the Siberian tundra and in West Alaska in June-July. Males usually return to the same nest site, even to the same spot. They form monogamous pairs and both help incubate the eggs.
The American Plover
The American plover has a different migratory route than the Pacific Golden plover, migrating from Alaska to South America.
Camouflage
Plovers are nicely camouflaged with a spotted gold and black body color to avoid predators and can nest on the ground. When threatened, the parent plover distracts the predator from the nest or chicks by pretending to have a broken wing.
The plover eats insects, invertebrates, berries, leaves, and seeds while having a lifespan of 15 years.
