Appearance

Hatchlings

Completely downy, mottled, olive buff and black above, white below. Auriculars black; indistinct black band encircles back of neck; black stripe from bill to eye and from lores to auriculars (Bent 1929). See also Baicich and Harrison 1997 .

Juvenal Plumage

Acquired by complete Prejuvenal (postnatal) molt. Down gradually lost during first 31 d (Sutton and Parmelee 1955).

As in Common Ringed Plover, Juvenal plumage is similar to Definitive Basic plumage (see below), except white area above eye is broader and extends in front of eye, often forming superciliary stripe (Paulson 1993); feathers of upperparts, including median and lesser wing-coverts, have narrow pale- to buff-gray margin, bordered proximally by narrow, dark band. Breast-band is narrower and may be interrupted, and breast-band feathers are fringed white. Tip of tail is tinged pinkish buff (Bent 1929, Prater et al. 1977, Cramp and Simmons 1983, Paulson 1993).

Basic I Plumage

Prebasic I molt incomplete; includes body-feathers and presumably some rectrices and wing-coverts, but not known; occurs during late fall, later than Prebasic molt in adults, apparently on wintering grounds, but not known (Bent 1929, Cramp and Simmons 1983).

Little information on Basic I plumage. Similar to Definitive Basic plumage (see below), but distinguishable by presence of worn, retained Juvenal primaries and wing-coverts (Prater et al. 1977).

Alternate I Plumage

Prealternate I molt partial; occurs during summer of second calendar year (McNeil 1970).

Alternate I plumage similar to Definitive Alternate plumage (see below), but may not be as fully developed as in adults (McNeil 1970) and is distinguishable from plumage of adults by presence of worn retained Juvenal primaries and wing-coverts (Prater et al. 1977).

Definitive Basic Plumage

Definitive Prebasic molt complete. Primaries are replaced from innermost to outermost; primary molt occurs late Jul–Dec or Jan; may begin earliest in failed breeders but in some as late as Oct (Bent 1929, Cramp and Simmons 1983). May begin in Jun in birds in their second calendar year undergoing this molt for the first time (Cramp and Simmons 1983). Body plumage replaced by Oct (McNeil 1970).

Definitive Basic plumage similar to Definitive Alternate plumage (see below), except black on head, breast, and neck is replaced by dusky olive brown (Cramp and Simmons 1983).

Definitive Alternate Plumage

Definitive Prealternate molt partial; includes body-feathers and presumably some rectrices and wing-coverts, as in Common Ringed Plover (C. hiaticula tundrae; Cramp and Simmons 1983). Following description based on Oberholser 1974 and on examination of specimens.

Male. Forehead, lores, and anterior part of crown black, enclosing white patch on forehead; cheeks black, with short white streak (sometimes not visible) on lower eyelid and sometimes elongated white spot (postocular stripe) above eye. Crown, nape, back, and central uppertail-coverts dull brown; lateral uppertail-coverts white. Central pair of rectrices (R1) buffy brown, becoming black terminally, with narrow white tip when fresh; subsequent pairs similar, but with progressively broader white tips and reduced subterminal black portion; outermost rectrix (R6) entirely white. Remiges dark brownish gray, becoming white on basal (unexposed) half of inner web and becoming increasingly blackish on outer web and tip toward outer primaries and toward inner secondaries; innermost 5 primaries white on basal portion of outer web, outer web of innermost 3 secondaries white, and remiges decreasingly tipped white from innermost secondary to outermost primary. Shafts of all remiges dark, becoming white on basal half of secondaries and inner primaries, and on medial portion of outermost primaries. Scapulars, elongated tertials, and distal median wing-coverts medium brownish gray. Greater wing-coverts dark brownish gray, broadly tipped white. Proximal lesser-coverts and remaining wing-coverts same dark color as outer primaries; primary-coverts and outer median-coverts narrowly tipped white when fresh (least so distally). White tips of greater-coverts and primary-coverts, white patches on outer webs of innermost primaries, and white portion of remigial shafts together form prominent white stripe across wing. Underwing white, becoming dark gray on distal portion of remiges. Sides of neck and collar around hindneck white; below this, a black collar on hindneck and upper breast narrows slightly at center of breast and upper hindneck; remainder of underparts white.

Female. Similar to male, but black portions of head, neck, and breast often have brown feathers and longer, more distinct white stripe above eye.

Bill And Gape

Bill black, with variable amounts of orange at base in Alternate plumage. Males average slightly larger orange portion in bill than females; orange is bright in males, and duller in most females, but there is considerable variability in females (EN). Bill blackish in Basic plumage, although some dull orange remains on lower mandible at base on some individuals. Bill blackish in juveniles, with some orange at base of lower mandible in some individuals (Bent 1929, Cramp and Simmons 1983). In Basic I plumage, bill black; spot on base of lower mandible raw umber; tongue and inside of mouth white.

Iris

Dark brown (Cramp and Simmons 1983).

Bare Skin On Head

Bare skin around eye forms narrow eye-ring. In adults, eye-ring is lemon yellow in Alternate plumage, pale yellow to orange yellow in Basic plumage. In juveniles, eye-ring is gray (Cramp and Simmons 1983).

Legs And Feet

Feet have webbing between all 3 front toes (Prater et al. 1977, Hayman et al. 1986). In adults, legs and feet orange-yellow to flesh-colored in Alternate-plumaged males and dull orange to buff in Alternate-plumaged females. In Basic I plumage, legs and feet are dull yellow to orange-yellow anteriorly, chrome yellow posteriorly. Juvenile legs and feet are brownish orange, slate-colored, or olive yellow anteriorly, and orange yellow, olive yellow, or dull white posteriorly; claws are black (Oberholser 1974, Cramp and Simmons 1983).