The Mountain Plover is about the size of a Killdeer (Charadrius vocierus) but with longer legs and more erect posture. Sexes are similar in both size and plumage coloration, remaining drably colored most of the year and lacking black breast bands typical of many other plovers.

References cited in Species Profile

• Andres, B. A., and K. L. Stone. 2009. Conservation Plan for the Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus), Version 1.0. Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, Massachusetts.
• Andrews, R. and R. Righter. 1992. Colorado birds: a reference to their distribution and habitat. Denver Mus. Nat. Hist. Denver, CO.
• Bergeron, D., C. Jones, D. L. Genter, and D. Sullivan. 1992. P. D. Skaar's Montana bird distribution. Montana Nat. Heritage Prog. Spec. Publ. No. 2.
• Hayman, P., J. Marchant, and T. Prater. 1986. Shorebirds: an identification guide to the waders of the world. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA.
• Hubbard, J. P. 1978. The breeding and seasonal status of the Mountain Plover in New Mexico. N. Mex. Ornithol. Soc. Bull. 6(1):2-6.
• Hunting, K. W., S. Fitton, and L. Edson. 2001. Distribution and habitat associations of the Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) in California. Trans. West. Sec. The Wildl. Soc. 37:37-42.
• Knopf, F. L. 1996. Prairie legacies-birds. in Prairie conservation: preserving North America's most endangered ecosystem. (Samson, F. B. and F. L. Knopf, Eds.) Island Press, Covelo, CA.
• Knopf, F. L. and J. R. Rupert. 1995. Habits and habitats of Mountain Plovers in California.Condor 97:743-751.
• Knopf, Fritz L. and M. B. Wunder. 2006. Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/211
• Luan, H. C. 1957. A life history study of the Mountain Plover, Eupoda montana, Townsend on the Laramie Plains, Albany County, Wyoming. Master's Thesis. Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie.
• Oakleaf, B., B. Luce, S. Ritter, and A. Cerovski. 1992. Wyoming bird and mammal atlas.Wyoming Game Fish Dept. Lander.
• Small, A. 1994. California birds: their status and distribution. Ibis Publ. Co. Vista, CA.
• Wunder, M. B. and F. L. Knopf. 2003. Imperial Valley agriculture is critical to wintering Mountain Plovers. J. Field Ornithol. 74:74-80.