Pluvialis apricaria · Icelandic: Heiðlóa (Lóa)

A golden-spangled wader whose spring return is celebrated across Iceland.

Habitat: Open moorland and grassy uplands | Season: Mar–Oct

Identification

• Golden-spangled black-and-gold upperparts
• Black face and belly in summer plumage

Behaviour

Gives a melancholy, whistling call across open ground. The first arrival each spring is reported in the Icelandic media as a sign spring has come.

Did you know?

In Icelandic folklore, the Golden Plover's return means winter is over — Icelanders still announce the first sighting each year as "Lóan er komin" ("The Plover has arrived").

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