Like many migratory shorebirds, the Pacific Golden Plover is a sight to behold when in breeding plumage. Its upperparts are a patchwork of golden, buff and black feathers, while the underparts are jet black, and there is a broad, ‘S’-shaped white line which separates the two, curving down from the bird’s face, along its neck and the sides of the breast and onto the flanks. When seen on Australian mudflats this colour scheme is conspicuous, but it provides perfect camouflage when nesting in the Arctic’s tundra vegetation.
