Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon (Linnaeus, 1758) (1, 0)

Photo © Keith A Naylor

STATUS

Nearctic. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

The first for Britain was not recorded until ten years later and finally admitted onto the British List 72 years after its occurrence.

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RECORD

1). 1908 Cornwall River Allen, Sladesbridge, female, shot, November.

(D. Seth-Smith, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 39: 6-7; F. C. R. Jourdain, British Birds 12: 160-161; F. G. Stevenson, British Birds 12: 216; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 8; Penhallurick, 1978; BOURC (1980), Ibis 122: 564).

HISTORY

D. Seth-Smith, Editor (1918) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXXIX. pp. 6-7, at the 233rd Meeting of the Club held on 9th October 1918 at Pagani's Restaurant, London, says: 'Mr. Charles Chubb exhibited a female specimen of the Belted Kingfisher, taken in Cornwall, and gave the following notes: - Through the kindness of Mr. G. Thorne Phillips, of Wadebridge, Cornwall, the British Museum has been able to acquire a female example of the Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), which was shot on the banks of the River Allen, a tributary of the River Camel, by Mr. F. G. Stevenson, of Sladesbridge, in November 1908. This appears to be the first known occurrence of this specie sin England.'

F. C. R. Jourdain (1918) in British Birds, Vol. XII. pp. 160-161, says: 'At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Union on October 9th, 1918, Mr. C. Chubb, exhibited a female Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), which had been acquired by the British Museum through Mr. G. Thorne Phillips of Wadebridge, Cornwall. The bird had been set up, and was stated to have been shot on the banks of the River Allen, a tributary of the River Camel, by Mr. F. G. Stevenson of Sladesbridge, in November 1908. Apparently the bird has remained unrecorded for ten years, and the only evidence of its authenticity is a written statement from Mr. Stevenson that he shot the bird himself at the time and place stated above. There is no previous record of the occurrence of this species in Great Britain, but two instances are said to have taken place in Ireland. One bird was shot by Mr. Frederick A. Smith at Annsbrook, co. Meath, on October 26th, 1845. A second is said to have been seen at Luggela, co. Wicklow, prior to November 20th, 1845, by the gamekeeper of Mr. Latouche, and was shot by him (fide Thompson) or by Mr. J. C. Campion (fide Watters). The former specimen was bought for the collection of Trinity College, Dublin, while the latter was left by Mr. T. W. Warren to the Museum of Science and Art at Dublin.

These two occurrences have not been regarded as sufficiently well authenticated to allow of the inclusion of the Belted Kingfisher in the British List, and Ussher, writing in 1908, states that "the circumstances connected with them are open to suspicion". On the other hand, when Saunders wrote in 1899 that, even assuming the accuracy of the records, the bird had probably escaped from confinement, he knew of no occurrences in Greenland, Iceland or the Continent of Europe. It is now known to have visited the Azores on one occasion (Zool., XII. p. 114) and also to have been obtained on the Westmann Isles, Iceland, in 1901 (cf. Bull. B.O.C., XXXIX. p. 7).

There is also one instance of its occurrence on the Continent, which is omitted in the account given in the Bulletin (loc. cit.), for an adult male was shot in Gelderland. Holland, on December 17th, 1899 (Orn. Monatsber., 1900, p. 114). Two at least of these occurrences, and probably the third also, are beyond the possibility of suspicion and render the occurrence of this species in the British Isles far more probable than was the case when Saunders and Ussher wrote on the subject. At the same time, the lapse of ten years renders investigation difficult in this case, while considerable doubt attaches to at least one of the Irish records.'

F. G. Stevenson (1919) in British Birds, Vol. XII. p. 216, says: 'Sirs, - One day in November 1908, the date of which I am not now certain, my attention was called by my neighbour at Sladesbridge, near Wadebridge, to a peculiar bird perching on the telegraph wires just outside my house. I took my gun and went out, but on my appearance it flew from the wires, alighting in a bush on the bank of the River Allen, which flows close by, being a tributary of the River Camel. I endeavoured to stalk it, but it again flew off, alighting a little further up the river, where I successfully stalked and killed it. I sent the bird to a taxidermist in Plymouth, who stuffed it for me, but on making enquiries failed to ascertain its name until in September of this year (1918) when visiting Wadebridge I made the acquaintance of Mr. G. Thorne Phillips, of Polmorla Villa, who identified it as a Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon). I handed the bird to Mr. Phillips, who sent it to the British Museum, and it was exhibited at the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club on October 9th, 1918. This is the first recorded occurrence of the bird in England. Thinking this may interest your readers.' [We applied to Mr. Stevenson for the name of the taxidermist who set up the bird, but he regrets his inability to give the name, as his friend, who was formerly resident in Plymouth, is now in America.- Eds.]

W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 8, say: 'The Cornish record did not come to light for ten years, but in view of the letter from the man who shot it (Stevenson, 1919), it is hardly possible to refuse to accept the record unless the credentials of all other rare birds not actually shot by an ornithologist are to be called in question.'

Admitted nationally as the first for Britain (BOURC (1980) Ibis 122: 564).

NOT PROVEN

0). 1919 Sussex Crowhurst, two: one, male, 17th March; one, female, 18th March.

(Walpole-Bond, 1938).

[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].

History Walpole-Bond (1938 (2): 176) recording the record in square brackets, says: '...our two specimens, a pair, are supposed to have been shot at Crowhurst in March 1919, the male on the 17th inst., the female the next day. They were acquired almost at once by Sir Vauncey Crewe and nothing was known of their existence until his death in 1924, when the male was presented to the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton.'

Comment Hastings rarities. Not acceptable.