A plump wader with gold and black plumage in the summer; in winter the black is replaced by buff and white. Slightly smaller than a lapwing, they typically stand upright and run in short bursts. The golden plover can be distinguished from the larger grey plover by its golden spots and delicate bill. In summer they are found in the upland moorland habitats of the Southern Uplands and Highlands of Scotland, the Western and Northern Isles, the Peak District, North Yorkshire, Wales and Devon; where it breeds from May to September. In winter they form large flocks, often in the company of lapwings, flying in a tight formation and visiting farmland and coastal flats searching for their food of worms and beetles. They can be distinguished in their communal flocks with lapwings by their sharp, pointed wings, lapwings have bluntly rounded wings.