Gold on the Moor

(Verse 1 – Identification)
Golden Plover, Pluvialis apricaria,
Medium-sized wader, rounded head,
Short dark bill, long wings,
Legs dark, never yellow or red.

(Verse 2 – Plumage)
In summer it wears a black face and belly,
Bordered sharp with white along the side,
Back is gold-spangled, brown and black,
In winter the black is lost, pale below.

(Verse 3 – Habitat)
Breeds on open upland moorland,
Peat, short grass, heath and bog,
Also Arctic tundra further north,
Avoids trees, fences, and cover.

(Chorus)
Open ground, open sky,
Seen far off, rarely nearby,
Golden Plover on the land,
Built for space, not for sand.

(Verse 4 – Migration)
Autumn moves bring flocks downhill,
From high moors to lowland fields,
Pasture, stubble, coastal grass,
Often feeding in large groups.

(Verse 5 – Feeding)
Feeds by running, stopping, pecking,
Takes earthworms, beetles, larvae,
Most active at dawn and dusk,
Often feeds at night in winter.

(Verse 6 – Flight and call)
Flight is fast with strong wingbeats,
Flocks turn tightly as one,
Call is a clear, mournful whistle,
Often given in flight, not perched.

(Verse 7 – Breeding behaviour)
Male performs aerial display flights,
Climbs, dives, and calls repeatedly,
Territory defended on foot and in air,
Display peaks early in the season.

(Verse 8 – Nesting)
Nest is a shallow scrape on the ground,
Lined lightly with grass or leaves,
Usually four eggs, heavily marked,
Camouflage matches the peat.

(Verse 9 – Behaviour)
Relies on camouflage when threatened,
Freezes rather than fleeing early,
Flushes suddenly at close range,
Often calling as it rises.

(Verse 10 – Similar species)
Often confused with Grey Plover,
But Golden is slimmer, upland-based,
Grey Plover prefers coast and mud,
Different call, heavier build.

(Final Chorus)
Not a bird of hedges or trees,
Not a bird of reeds or seas,
Golden Plover, ground and sky,
Seen best when the land is wide.

(Outro)
Present year-round in Britain,
Breeding north and west mainly,
A common upland wader,
But declining where habitat is lost.