The Pacific Golden Plover is a slender upright shorebird (wader), with a rounded head, slim neck, short fine bill and long legs. It has large eyes. In breeding plumage, the underparts from the tail to the chin including the eye are black with white flecking on the tail. The upperparts, crown and wings are golden brown with white and black flecks on the wings. A continuous white flank line separates the upper and underparts, running from above the eye back to the tail, and black flecking is visible under the wing. When not breeding, it has a broad, buff brown to white eyebrow and the upperparts are duller, being golden brown with white spots and the underparts are brown to light grey. Young birds are similar to non-breeding adults but the breast is mottled brownish-yellow and grey-brown and the birds have a light yellow eyebrow. The Pacific Golden Plover is also know as the Eastern, Lesser or Least Golden Plover.
