The very first Finnish observation of the American Golden Plover (Pluvialis dominica) has been made. The rare wader migrating bird nests, as its name suggests, in North America. It also digresses frequently to the European continent.

The American Golden plover was spotted on the weekend in Hailuoto, an island opposite the city of Oulu in the Gulf of Bothnia. It has so far resided within the same area.

American Golden plover is only the second new bird species that has landed in Finland this year. This year's first species was spotted last summer in Kristiinankaupunki, when a Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus), which normally winters in Asia, arrived to the north. Usually about two new bird species are recorded in Finland every year.

If the Finnish Rarities Committee of BirdLife accepts the observation, American Golden Plover will be the 456th species on the list of birds sighted in Finland. The Rarities Committee inspects all bird observations made in Finland and estimates, whether the species has zoned out naturally.

www.birdlife.fi