Plover ID

I'm not very good at IDing plovers yet, and only have a few shorebird books. From what I've gathered so far this is either a Golden American, or a juvenile Black Bellied. I'm leaning towards Golden as the juvie BBs in the area were much younger and this was one of 2 that looked like this, and it has the pronounced supercilium. It was hanging with a couple of SB dowitchers and sandpipers along the shores edge, while the BB's were all up in the sand. Appreciate any help.

Shot on South Beach, Chatham, Mass. Sept.11, 2010

I'm familiar with Black-bellies and not familiar with golden. This just doesn't look like a black-belly to me, but I can' t be certain. The beak doesn't look stout enough and the legs seem too long for a black-belly

Doug,

This looks like a juvenile American Golden Plover to me. The dark cap with a tinge of gold in the specs combined with the streaking on the belly and the overall buffiness is what has convinced me.

Thank you Buck and Drew. I thought it was a golden when I shot it, but then looked in my guidebooks and saw BB's that looked very similiar, and just wanted to be sure as it is a first Golden Plover for me.

If you have any other photos showing the back of their legs near their feet you can always guarantee ID by this: all black-bellieds plovers have a vestigial hind toe. Golden-plovers do not.

Thank you for the info Denise. I do have other photos, but all are where it is in water. But good info for future reference.