Pluvialis

Pluvialis is a genus of plovers, a group of wading birds comprising four species that breed in the temperate or Arctic Northern Hemisphere.

In breeding plumage, they all have largely black underparts, and golden or silvery upperparts. They have relatively short bills and feed mainly on insects, worms or other invertebrates, depending on habitat, which are obtained by a run-and-pause technique, rather than the steady probing of some other wader groups. They hunt by sight, rather than by feel as do longer-billed waders.

Taxonomy

The genus Pluvialis was described by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) as the type species.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The genus name is Latin and means relating to rain, from pluvia, "rain". It was believed that they flocked when rain was imminent.<ref name=job>Template:Cite book</ref>

The genus contains four species:<ref name=ioc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Breeding Plumage	Non-breeding Plumage	Common Name	Scientific name	Distribution
File:Rohkunborri Pluvialis Apricaria.jpg	File:Pluvialis apricaria -Iceland-8.jpg	European golden plover	Pluvialis apricaria	Arctic tundra and other palearctic areas
File:Pluvialis fulva.JPG	File:Pluvialis fulva 4 - Boat Harbour.jpg	Pacific golden plover	Pluvialis fulva	Arctic regions of Siberia and Alaska
File:Pluvialis dominica1.jpg	File:Pluvialis dominica.jpg	American golden plover	Pluvialis dominica	Arctic tundra from northern Canada and Alaska.
File:Black-bellied Plover RWD 2015b.jpg	File:Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) RWD.jpg	Grey plover or black-bellied plover	Pluvialis squatarola	cosmopolitan

The American and Pacific golden plovers were formerly considered conspecific as "lesser golden plover".<ref name=sang>Template:Cite journal</ref>