Several species of rare plovers have been recorded in Arizona, often as migrants or accidental visitors far from their usual ranges. The Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola), the largest of the group, is an uncommon transient in the state, typically seen at large lakes, reservoirs, or flooded fields during migration, where its bold black belly in breeding plumage and distinctive whistled calls stand out. The American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica) is even rarer, appearing mainly in fall as a long-distance migrant between Arctic breeding grounds and South American wintering areas; its slimmer build, shorter bill, and golden-spangled upperparts distinguish it from the Black-bellied. The Lesser Sand-Plover (Charadrius mongolus), an Old World shorebird that breeds from Central Asia to the Russian Far East, is a true vagrant in Arizona, with only a handful of records, usually at coastal-like inland habitats where it can be mistaken for a small plover species. The Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus), a pale, delicate shorebird of sandy flats and alkali lakes, is scarce and local in Arizona, with small numbers breeding at isolated saline or mudflat habitats such as Lake Abert and Willcox Playa; its presence is vulnerable to habitat loss and human disturbance.
