American Golden Plover
Pluvialis dominica (Müller, PLS, 1776) (2, 1)
Photo © Mike Youdale
Ex BBRC species 31/12/2005
STATUS
Nearctic. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
American and Pacific Golden Plovers were considered conspecific prior to 1986 under the name of Lesser Golden Plover.
BOU (1971) stated only one record, that of 1956 in Fair Isle. However, the 1887 was re-examined and proved to be dominica, while the first record which had suffered from confusion, has since found to be a genuine record.
RECORDS
1). 1883 Perth & Kinross Mouth of Almond, Perth, adult male, shot, 3rd August, now at Perth Museum (PERGM 1978.188.72).
(J. G. Millais, Zoologist 1886: 26-27; Harvie-Brown, 1906; Witherby et al., 1940-52; Baxter & Rintoul, 1953; BOURC (2006), Ibis 148: 200; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).
History J. Guille Millais of Palace Gate, London (1886) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. X. pp. 26-27, says: 'I wish to record, through the medium of your pages, the occurrence in Scotland of two rare birds in my collection which have not been previously recorded - namely, the American Golden Plover, Charadrius virginicus, and Richard's Pipit, Anthus richardi.
The circumstances under which the American Golden Plover was obtained are as follows: - On August 3rd, 1883, Mr. P. D. Malloch, fishing-tackle maker, of Perth, was walking near Perth, when the bird in question crossed the road in front of him; he fired and killed it, and, thinking it a pretty bright specimen in change of plumage, took it into his shop next day, mounted it, and put it in his window. I happened to come in two days after, and as I wanted a Golden Plover just beginning to lose the summer plumage I told him to convert it into a skin for me, which accordingly he did.
On the 10th of October last I happened to be staying with Mr. Harvie Brown, and there I met Bidwell, who in the course of conversation informed me that he had first discovered the Asiatic Golden Plover in this country, remarking that one of the distinguishing features of the latter bird was its having brownish grey instead of white axillaries. On my return to London, when looking over my series of Golden Plovers, I was surprised to find the specimen in question was grey under the wings. On comparing it with specimens of Charadrius pluvialis I found it differed in other respects, the colouring being richer, and spots on the wing more boldly marked, and the bird altogether smaller; the wing measures 7.2 inches, and from the end of the innermost secondaries to end of primaries, 1¾ inch in length. I of course thought it was the Asiatic Golden Plover, but on showing it to Mr. Bidwell, Mr. Gurney, and Mr. Seebohm, they were all of opinion that it was Charadrius virginicus.'
Harvie-Brown (1906: 296-297) says: 'Mr. Malloch told Mr. W. Evans that he had shot a specimen of this rare Siberian (or American ?) bird close to Perth on the Tay (W. Evans in litt., 23rd November 1886). There was also a previous record of another of the same rare Siberian (or American ?) species given by Mr. Millais, which was obtained at a poulterer's market in Edinburgh - Mr. Johnstone's. This bird came to a grocer first in Leith Walk, who was in the habit of getting his (poultry) eggs from the Orkney Isles, and so, no doubt, passed from his hands into those of a game-dealer.
There appears to be no certainty as regards this specimen, and I prefer to retain it in square brackets until better evidence is forthcoming. Having awaited my receipt of Millais' notes, I now give these here. Millais writes: "On August 3, 1883, P. D. Malloch shot from a flock of Golden Plovers at Almond Mouth, near Perth, a bird which I recognised as being distinct from the common species. On showing it to Mr. Seebohm, he identified it as Charadrius virginicus - the American Golden Plover; but now I think that it is referable to the above-mentioned species (i.e. under Millais' heading 'The Lesser Golden Plover, Charadrius dominicus, P. L. Muller)', which is an inhabitant of Siberia, but which is nevertheless closely allied to the American form (see Zool., 1886, p. 26). The specimen is an adult male just casting its summer plumage".'
I have not had the opportunity of seeing these birds, nor do I know where they are. If it be the Siberian form, one point I think is the colour of the axillary feathers, which in that form are smoke-coloured, but these are also smoke-coloured in the allied form. I prefer to bracket them together, and thus follow our latest authority, Mr. H. E. Dresser....As these two so-called sub-species are generally accepted as belonging to the same, and not truly separable, and as there appears to be some indecision as to whether they came from North America or Asia, I prefer to retain them meanwhile in brackets, their origin being uncertain. When saying that their origin may be uncertain, I refer to the possibility that birds sent from a distance for the purpose of fly-dressing may have got mixed up in the market or in the retailer's hands, and that thereafter it is possible that they may have been confused with others shot locally. That such possibilities and circumstances do occur is well known to many ornithologists of experience.'
Bob McGowan (e-mail, December 2004) says: '...The Harvie-Brown archives suggest Harvie-Brown did accept this record (see photocopy of notebook with MS. comment dated May 1905). The record is listed in Baxter & Rintoul's (1953) Birds of Scotland without question. Under American Golden Plover, Bannerman (1961) mentions firstly a discounted record (dated 1882), then the Millais record, quoting a footnote by Witherby in The Handbook - "Apparently P. d. dominica but possibly P. d. fulva". Bannerman then continues "The third - and in point of fact the first undisputed example - was obtained...1894, Co. Mayo...". The possibility (as per Witherby) of the Millais bird being fulva no doubt explains Bannerman's cautious language. Keith Naylor square brackets this record, with 1956, Fair Isle as the first. Phil Palmer (Firsts) states the record was "rejected by Bannerman and no longer recognised". He recently explained to me that his original accounts were edited by c. 25% with some detail being lost (!) and that his original notes/manuscripts were lost by the publisher. He concedes that he may have read more into Bannerman's statement that was there. Skin in Perth Museum, Millais collection, male.'
Comment Admitted as the first for Britain (Ibis 148: 198-201).
2). 1887 Orkney Loch of Stenness, Mainland, shot, 26th November, now at Perth Museum (PERGM 1978.188.73).
(J. G. Millais, Field 10th Dec., 1887: 907; Buckley & Harvie-Brown, 1891; Baxter & Rintoul, 1953; BOU, 1971; BOURC (2006), Ibis 148: 198-201; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).
History J. G. Millais of Edinburgh Castle (1887) in The Field of 10th Dec., Vol. LXX. p. 907, says: 'On Nov. 26 I received fresh killed from Stromness, Orkney, a good specimen of the Asiatic Golden Plover. It was shot by a boatman who now and then forwards me anything unusual that he gets. He shot it on some rising ground near Loch Stennis, where there are always flocks of Golden Plover in the winter, and, thinking it was a young Grey Plover, which is a rare bird there, he sent it to me. I saw at once that I had got a prize, and have no doubt that it is a specimen of the Eastern Golden Plover. It differs from our bird in being longer in the legs and wings, and slightly smaller in the body, and has the under parts of the wings pale sooty brown instead of white. I have no doubt that both this and the American Golden Plover (Charadrius virginianus) (a specimen of which I was lucky enough to obtain two years ago, and recorded in The Zoologist) must occur here oftener than is generally supposed, and their close resemblance to some of our own plovers causing them to be overlooked. The specimen I have just received is now being preserved for my collection by Mr. Small, of Edinburgh.'
Buckley & Harvie-Brown (1891) in their Vertebrate Fauna of Orkney, say: 'On 26th November Millais received in the flesh a specimen which had been killed near Loch Stenness by a boatman who occasionally sends him anything he thinks rare.'
Saunders (1899: 549, 2nd ed.) says: 'In The Field of 10th December, 1887, Mr. Millais stated that on November 26th he received from Stennis in Orkney, in the flesh, one [Lesser Golden Plover] of the Asiatic race.'
Admitted nationally (Witherby et al. 1940-52; BOU 1971).
Baxter and Rintoul (1953 (2): 594) quoting from The Field (Vol. LXX. p. 907, 10 Dec 1887) state that one was "shot near the Loch of Stennis [sic] in Orkney, by a boatman, in November 1887, and sent to [J. G.] Millais in the flesh".
Bannerman (1961 (10): 216) states the date as November 1887 with the species as Pacific Golden Plover.
B. McGowan, Email, December 2004, says: 'Bird labelled "Pomona I., Orkneys; date Dec. 1887, shot by J. Sutherland, (Stenness), received in the flesh. Sent as a young Grey Plover and identified by Howard Saunders and recorded in The Field, Jan. 1888. Listed as 3rd British (or 2nd, as one is square bracketed) record by Naylor. Wing length of fulva (Guide to identification and ageing of Holarctic waders, Prater et al. 1977) is 152-168 for females (152-173 both sexes). The wing length of this specimen is 189 which accords with 175-188 for female dominica. Additionally, primary projection is 5 beyond tertials, another characteristic of dominica. This specimen should be 2nd Scottish (and British) dominica and not 1st Scottish (and 3rd British fulva). Millais skin in Perth Museum.'
Admitted nationally as the second record for Britain (BOURC (2006) Ibis 148: 198-201).
Comment In November 1995, the BBRC report showed that the three previously accepted pre-1958 records (including the one on Orkney in 1887) were no longer accepted. It also stated that the Aberlady record was the first for Britain - a 1975 East Yorkshire record was later rejected. In the 2000 BBRC Report, the three old records reappeared. Millais was a member of the Zoological Society and the BOU from 1886. Pomona = Orkney (E. Meek pers. comm.).
1950-57 RECORD
3). 1956 Fair Isle Vaasetter, adult, 14th to 15th September.
(M. F. M. Meiklejohn, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 3: 112; K. Williamson, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report 1955-56: 25; F. R. Allison, M. F. M. Meiklejohn & G. Waterston, Scottish Birds 1: 68-69; J. W. Campbell, Scottish Birds 1: 256; Dymond, 1991; C. Bradshaw, British Birds 96: 403; BOURC (2003), Ibis 145: 178-183).
History F. R. Allison, M. F. M. Meiklejohn & G. Waterston (1958) in Scottish Birds, Vol. I. pp. 68-69, say: 'In the late afternoon of 14th September 1956 F.R.A., R. G. McCaskie and G.W. discovered an unusual bird in a flock of twelve Golden Plover Charadrius apricarius on the moor of Vaasetter on Fair Isle. At first sight it appeared to be a Grey Plover Squatarola squatarola, but was soon seen to lack the black auxiliaries of that species and to have no white on the rump and upper side of the tail. The possibility of its being one of the races of Charadrius domenicus (American dominicus or Asiatic fulvus) presented itself and this supposition was strengthened by a statement in The Handbook (IV. 372) that the American Golden Plover in autumn resembles a young Grey Plover. In the evening of the same day the bird was watched by the three original observers together with M. Armelin, M. I. Kinnear, M.F.M.M., and C. Walker.
The following features were observed: on the ground, perhaps because of its lighter colouring against the dark heather, it seemed slightly larger than the European Golden Plovers, but in flight was seen to be very slightly smaller. R.G.McC. noticed that it stood at the same height as they did, thus arguing a longer length of leg in proportion. The skull was markedly rounded, giving a bull-headed appearance. "Bullhead" is a dialect name for the American Golden Plover.
The whole appearance of the bird was very white and grey making it almost indistinguishable from a Grey Plover until it flew, when the auxilIaries were seen to be brownish grey, like the rest of the underwing, and 'the rump and upper parts of the tail to resemble the rest of the upper parts in colour. Its most striking field character was a very broad white eye-stripe and a very white forehead. The crown was dark brown verging on black, with lighter flecks; the nape dark grey brown. The upper parts had a yellowish grey appearance, less spangled than in apricarius and in museum specimens of domenicus fulvus. There was a greyish streak through the eye continuing in a circle round the cheeks to the throat. The underparts were white with noticeable traces remaining of the black feathers of summer plumage; they formed a sort of collar on the lower throat, and were thick down the centre of the breast. The bird was only heard to call once, when the whole flock rose in alarm; it uttered a triple "tee tee tee" of a peculiar harsh nasal quality, like the whinny of a horse.
Early next morning it rose from the moor of Eas Brecks and flew away southwards by itself, after which it was not seen again. On this occasion it called continually, the call being trisyllabic, with the second syllable hardly accented, and the third lower in pitch. It could be rendered "tialoo" and was higher pitched than the call of the European Golden Plover heard at the same time.
F.R.A. and M.F.M.M. have examined specimens of Charadrius domenicus domenicus and fulvus in the British Museum (Natural History) and the Royal Scottish Museum and are agreed that the Fair Isle example was of the typical race, the American Golden Plover. One specimen of domenicus in the R.S.M. agreed almost perfectly; it is a male obtained at Ajo, Buenos Aires, on 10th September, 1899. The mounted specimen of domenicus in the showcase of the R.S.M. also closely resembles the Fair Isle bird.
The Fair Isle bird differed from all specimens of Charadrius domenicusfulvus examined by us in the following respects: size, not very much smaller than apricarius; grey colouration of upper parts and very white eyebrow; generally less brown and less spangled above, lack of yellow on throat, though two specimens of fulvus in the B.M. have hardly any. For the sake of future possible observers it should be observed that there was no possibility of confusing this bird in the field with Charadrius apricarius; it was wholly unlike. This is the second Scottish record.'
NOT PROVEN
0). 1916 Sussex Rye, female, shot, 22nd September.
(J. B. Nichols, British Birds 11: 45; W. Ruskin Butterfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 3: 79; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History J. B. Nichols (1917) in British Birds, Vol. XI. p. 45, says: 'I wish to record the occurrence of the following birds in Sussex in 1916: - American Golden Plover (Charadrius d. dominicus). - A female was shot by T. C. Relfe at Rye, Sussex, on September 22nd, 1916, and was examined in the flesh by myself on September 25th. The wing measures 81 mm.'
Accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938 (3): 142).
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
