Lot Essay
See lot 125 for a watercolour of Black-bellied Plovers in summer plumage.
Gould used two illustrations to show that 'A greater transformation in the garb of birds does not exist than occurs in the spring and autumnal plumage of this bird... It is in the spring that the Grey (Black-bellied) Plover with its fine black breast flies over the eastern parts of England en route for countries further north.'
An adult bird is depicted in winter plumage with a young bird born earlier in the year.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeds arctic tundras of Eurasia from the Kanin peninsula east to Anadyrland, and North America from Alaska west and south Baffin Island. In winter almost cosmopolitan south as far as south Africa, Australia, New Zealand and south South America
Gould used two illustrations to show that 'A greater transformation in the garb of birds does not exist than occurs in the spring and autumnal plumage of this bird... It is in the spring that the Grey (Black-bellied) Plover with its fine black breast flies over the eastern parts of England en route for countries further north.'
An adult bird is depicted in winter plumage with a young bird born earlier in the year.
DISTRIBUTION: Breeds arctic tundras of Eurasia from the Kanin peninsula east to Anadyrland, and North America from Alaska west and south Baffin Island. In winter almost cosmopolitan south as far as south Africa, Australia, New Zealand and south South America