Black-eared Wheatear sp.
Oenanthe hispanica/melanoleuca (1, 1)
Photo © By gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K - Black-eared Wheatear female, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74401622
STATUS
Western Palearctic.
OVERVIEW
This record is listed as indeterminate in The British List: a Checklist of Birds of Britain (9th ed.). (BOURC (2018) Ibis 160: 190–240).
RECORD
1). 1875 Greater Manchester Radcliffe Reservoir, near Bury, Lancashire, adult male, dark-throated, c. 8th May.
(R. Davenport, Hardwicke's Science Gossip 1878: 232-233; Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1878: 881, 977; J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1879: 30; J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1879: 37; Anon., Ibis 1879:118; BOU, 1883; H. Seebohm, Zoologist 1886: 193-195; Mitchell, 1892; Saunders, 1895; Witherby, 1920-24).
History R. Davenport of Bury (1878) in Hardwicke's Science Gossip, Vol. XIV. pp. 232-233, says: 'It is a pleasing duty to me to record the taking of a very beautiful specimen of what I consider an exceedingly rare bird in our neighbourhood (Saxicola stapazina).
The specimen was shot by a friend of mine about the middle of May this year on the margin of the Bury and Radcliffe Reservoir; and, though very mangled with shot, having a good number of 6's, it has been very well mounted indeed by my friend Johnson, of Prestwich.
Considering the condition it was in from being killed with such large shot, I really doubted at one time whether it could be mounted; however, it has been, and a valuable addition to our list of birds it is....I have sought many works on British birds, but failed to find its mention; and the only description I can find is in Cassell's Book of Birds, Vol. II. p. 199.
The bird I have is a male bird, in fine mature plumage, and in very good condition when shot. Its habits when alive, as noticed by several parties for a few days prior to its being captured, were very active, vigilant, and shy. it seemed to hold itself aloof from any of the same order (Saxicola oenanthe)....In order to more clearly identify this species from our Wheatear (Saxicola oenanthe), I have had a male specimen of the latter mounted along with it, from which it will be seen there is a very wide difference; the colours of S. stapazina are, on the head, nape, and back, white, slightly tinged with rust yellow; on the belly and breast dulled white; the throat and cheeks, from above the eyelids, including the ear-coverts, are jet black, quite as much or more than the Pied Wagtail (Motacilla yarrelli); the upper and under tail-coverts are white; the two outer tail feathers on each side are white, slightly edged and tipped with black; while the three next on each side are white, slightly edged (but not tipped) with black, the middle tail feathers are entirely black, the wings are a beautiful glossy black, as are also the legs and toes. I did not take the dimensions of the bird when dead, but it is a trifle smaller than S. oenanthe, as will be seen on comparison. I have shown the specimen to several very able naturalists, and not one remembers having seen the species before.'
Anon. (1878) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 881, at the meeting held on 19th November 1878, says: '...Mr. Sclater exhibited the specimen in question, which had been kindly sent up for exhibition by Mr. Davenport. It appeared to be an adult in full plumage of Saxicola stapazina (called by Mr. Dresser S. rufa B. of Eur. pt. xxv.). The species had not been previously recorded as occurring in the British Isles, and was an interesting addition to the list of "Accidental visitors".'
Further, p. 977, he adds: 'Mr. Sclater read a letter with enclosures from Mr. R. Davenport, of 124 Georgiana Street, Bury, whereby it appeared that there could be no doubt of the specimen of the Black-throated Wheatear (Saxicola stapazina) exhibited at the last meeting having been obtained in Lancashire, as there stated. The bird was shot by Mr. David Page, of 103 Spring Street, Bury, on or about the 8th May, 1875, whilst sitting on the ridge of the outbuildings belonging to the Bury Angling Association near the reservoir. It was taken in the flesh to Mr. Wright Johnson, of Prestwick, to be mounted. Mr. Johnson had ascertained the sex by dissection to be male.'
J. E. Harting (1879) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. III. p. 30, says: 'At a meeting of the Zoological Society held on the 9th November last, Mr. Sclater exhibited a specimen of the Black-throated Wheatear, Saxicola stapazina, which had been shot at Bury, in Lancashire, on or about the 8th of May, 1875, and read an extract concerning it from a notice communicated by Mr. R. Davenport, of Bury, to Science Gossip of October 1st, 1878. From this communication, and from subsequent correspondence with Mr. Davenport (Proc. Zool. Soc., 3rd Dec., 1878), it appears that the bird in question was shot by Mr. David Page, of Bury, on the margin of the Bury and Radcliffe Reservoir, and was taken in the flesh to Mr. Wright Johnson, of Prestwick, to be mounted. Mr. Johnson ascertained the sex by dissection to be a male. This is believed to be the first time this bird has been met with in the British Islands. It is figured by Mr. Dresser (Birds of Europe, part xxv.), under the name Saxicola rufa.'
J. E. Harting, Editor (1879) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. III. p. 37, reporting from the 3rd December, 1878 meeting of the Zoological Society of London, says: 'Mr. Sclater communicated some further particulars respecting the occurrence in Lancashire of the Black-throated Wheatear, Saxicola stapazina, exhibited at the last meeting of the Society.' Anon. (1879) in The Ibis, Vol. XXI. p. 118, say: 'An addition has just been made to the British list by a record of the occurrence of the Black-throated Wheatear of Southern Europe (Saxicola stapazina, Linn., nec Dresser) in Lancashire. The occurrence of this bird was first stated in an article in Science Gossip, of October 1st, 1878. The specimen in question has since been exhibited at the Meetings of the Zoological Society in November and December last, and unquestionable evidence given as to the authenticity of the occurrence.'
Admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds as the first for Britain under 'Black-throated Wheatear' (BOU 1883: 6), but did not mention the record in the Second List in either Eastern or Western forms (BOU 1915).
Henry Seebohm (1886) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. X. pp. 193-195, says: 'In the spring of 1878 an example of the Black-throated Wheatear, Saxicola stapazina, was shot near Bury, in Lancashire. In November of the same year it was exhibited at a meeting of the Zoological Society in London (Proc. Zool. Soc., 1878, pp. 881, 977). I compared it at the time with skins from Spain, Greece and Asia Minor, and came to the conclusion that it agreed best with eastern examples, though it was not a very extreme form.
In 1874, when Mr. Dresser published the part of the Birds of Europe containing the history of this species and its allies, he recognised the distinction between the eastern and western races as specific, though he made an extraordinary muddle of the synonymy; in some cases transferred the account of the habits and nidification of one species to the other, and figured and described immature examples as adult in both cases.
In 1883 I included the Black-throated Wheatear in my History of British Birds (I. p. 307), pointing out that it was an example of the eastern race that had honoured our islands with a visit. I regret to say that in my synonymy of the Black-throated Chat, which I treated as one species, two misprints have occurred. In the second and in the last names on the list the words "Western form" ought to read "Eastern form".
In 1885 Mr. Mitchell included the Black-throated Wheatear, under the name of Saxicola stapazina, in his Birds of Lancashire (p. 10), accompanied with a plate; and in the same year it appeared, under the same name, in Lord Lilford's Coloured Figures of the Birds of the British Islands. Neither of these plates was drawn from the Lancashire specimen, and both of them unquestionably represent the extreme Spanish type....After a very careful re-comparison of the British example with examples of both the western and eastern forms, I still adhere to my previous opinion that it belongs to the eastern form. It is not a very characteristic example, but it is uncommon to find a Spanish example with quite so much black on the throat, whilst examples with no more, or even with slightly less, are not rare in Asia Minor. As regards the buff on the mantle, its almost entire absence is confirmatory, so far as it goes, of the correctness of my identification....The British specimen is adult....In conclusion, I beg to express my thanks to Mr. Doeg for having given me an opportunity of examining a second time the example procured near Bury.'
Howard Saunders (1892: 11-12, 2nd ed.) in the revised edition of Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire, says: 'The only example of this South-European species which has yet been seen in Britain was shot about the 8th May, 1875, near the reservoir at Bury, by Mr. David Page, and the occurrence was reported in Science Gossip for October 1st, 1878, by Mr. R. Davenport, who says: "It is a male bird, in fine mature plumage, and was in very good condition when shot. Its habits, as noticed by several parties for a few days prior to its being captured, were very active, vigilant, and shy. It seemed to hold itself aloof from any of the same order (S. oenanthe)".'
[This specimen which is now in the possession of Mr. Doeg, of St. Anne's Street, Manchester, was sent to Mr. Davenport for exhibition at the Zoological Society of London (P. Z. S. 1878, pp. 881, 977); as should always be done in the case of similar rarities.... - Ed.]
Comment Wright Johnson owned the rejected Lancashire Red-footed Falcon of 1843.
1950-57 RECORD
2). 1953 Oxfordshire King's Weir, near Eynsham, Berkshire, male, pale-throated, 16th to 18th April.
(M. Campbell, British Birds 47: 313-314; Radford, 1966).
History M. Campbell (1954) in British Birds, Vol. XLVII. pp. 313-314, say: 'On April 16th, 1953, at King's Weir, near Eynsham, (Oxfordshire), my son and I saw a male Black-eared Wheatear (Oenanthe hispanica). We watched it for a considerable time on railings at both sides of the lock-keeper's house.
The general impression was of a black and white bird with a delicate buffish salmon-pink patch on the breast and a lighter tint of this on the back. It had very striking, thick black stripes through the eyes (narrowing at the beak), black wings and a black centre and end to the tail. The crown, lower back, rump and sides of the tail (except at the tip) were pure white. The throat and belly were white.
In the time we watched the bird it perched at least twice in low trees, but it preferred the railings from which it constantly went down to the ground, though not remaining there long. The lock-keeper informed us that the bird had been there for some days and I understand that he last saw it on April 18th.'
[Dr. Campbell has sent us a sketch made by his son with the bird in front of him and this clearly confirms the identification. On the island adjacent to the lock-keeper's house there was at this time a large area covered with bare shingle dredged from the river and this may have been the original attraction for this bird. In 1951 a bird of this species occurred in Regent's Park, London (antea, Vol. XLVI. pp. 66-68). - Eds.]
