European Red-rumped Swallow
Cecropis daurica (Laxmann, 1769) (2, 2)
Photo © Kris Webb - Hugh Town, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, October 2022
Ex BBRC species 31/12/2005
STATUS
Old World. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
The long held view that three occurred in 1906 was finally corrected to just one. The other three records in this period are as per BOU (1971).
RECORDS
1). 1906 Fair Isle No locality, adult male, seen, 2nd June, found dead 12th June, now at National Museums of Scotland (NMSZ 2006.8).
(W. E. Clarke, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1906: 205-206; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 11; W. E. Clarke, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1908: 83; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 1: 383; Clarke, 1912; Witherby, 1920-24; Thom, 1986; Dymond, 1991; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).
History William Eagle Clarke (1906) in the Annals of Scottish Natural History, Vol. XVI. pp. 205-206, says: 'On the 2nd of June last, Fair Isle was visited by a number of migratory birds en route for their more northern summer haunts....An interesting stranger was also present among these visitors, for, flying in company with a party of the Common Swallow, my valued correspondent, Mr. George Stout, of Busta, observed one with a red patch on the lower back. Some ten days afterwards this bird was found by Mr. Stout dead and much decomposed, but was fortunately sent to me for identification, when I found it to be an adult example of the Red-rumped Swallow, the Hirundo rufula of Temminck, a bird which has not hitherto been detected in our islands.'
Howard Saunders (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 11, under 'Additions to the List of British Birds since 1899', says: 'An adult male of this species was observed by Mr. George Stout, of Fair Isle, on June 2nd, 1906, and, having been found dead some ten days afterwards, was sent to Mr. W. Eagle Clarke, who recorded and exhibited it Ann. Scott. N. H. 1906, p. 205, and Bull. B.O.C., XIX. p. 18).'
William Eagle Clarke (1908) in the Annals of Scottish Natural History, Vol. XVII. p. 83, recording the record in square brackets, probably because the article is about 1907 sightings and this record was 1906, says: 'George Stout informed me during my recent visit to the island that three of these birds visited Fair Isle at the end of May 1906, and of these the bird found dead and recorded (Annals, 1906, p. 205) was one. He noticed these swallows for several days, being attracted by their red band across their lower backs, but did not know the significance of this character, or of the bird's rarity.'
H. F. Witherby (1908) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 383, says: 'Mr. George Stout, who obtained the only British example of this species in 1906 (cf. supra, p. 11), informs Mr. Clarke that it was in company with two others of the same species.'
Clarke (1912 (2): 151) under 'The Birds of Fair Isle', says: 'Red-rumped Swallow - On the 2nd June 1906, the isle was the scene of the arrival of a great number of migrants rushing northwards. Along with these were three examples of the interesting bird under notice, which is a species not previously known to have visited the British Isles. George Stout noticed these birds for several days, his attention being attracted to them by the red band across the lower portion of their backs. He succeeded in shooting one, which was unfortunately lost, but was found some ten days afterwards and forwarded to me for identification.'
Accepted nationally for Scotland Forrester & Andrews et al. (2007 (2): 998) who say: 'A partial specimen is now at NMS (NMSZ 2006.8).'
Comment Eagle Clarke had first visited Fair Isle in 1905 where he met George Wilson Stout, a native islander, who was aged 17 at their first meeting. Eagle Clarke trained Stout in skinning and identification and charged him with keeping records and collecting specimens in between Clarke's visits to the islands. Stout was obviously a very able observer, as can be verified from some of the specimens he obtained, a capable self-taught taxidermist (he left Fair Isle in 1909 to go and work for a Glasgow taxidermist) and was very highly thought of by Eagle Clarke as he accompanied his mentor on at least four expeditions to British islands before the First World War. The account of three Red-rumped Swallows, their identification and attempted shooting seems likely, however, to be an embellished version designed to impress Clarke of his pupil's abilities. Nowhere is any reference made to there being more than one individual, or the fact that an attempt was made to shoot any specimen. Probably safe to accept just one individual. As long ago as 1907 Howard Saunders only admitted one.
2). 1949 Hertfordshire Aldbury, near Tring, 11th June.
(R. W. Gaskell, British Birds 43: 121; Gladwin & Sage, 1986).
History R. W. Gaskell (1950) in British Birds, Vol. XLIII. p. 121, says: 'On June 11th, 1949, at about 18.00, while I was working in the garden with my wife on a farm near Aldbury, Hertfordshire, a bird flew past us to land on a paled fence two or three yards away.
It seemed to be in poor condition and only able to fly short distances, and this, with the ruffled state of its feathers, at first led me to believe it was a young bird. I attempted to move closer to the fence, but the bird was nervous and at once fluttered almost at ground level across the corner of the adjoining held and alighted on a rough stone wall twenty yards away. The bird was now out of sight in a hollow in the wall and I walked round and up to the wall until I came to the marked position. I was standing close to the wall and peered into the cavity. The bird was resting and did not move for perhaps 45 seconds. The wings were partly opened, displaying the very pronounced rufous rump above the swallow-like tail. The head was on one side as the bird watched me and this also resembled that of a Swallow (Hirundo rustica), especially the beak. Moreover there was a patch of red on the back of the head and over the eyes, and the chin lacked the colouring of an ordinary Swallow. The rest of the back was much like an ordinary Swallow, but any lustre or sheen it may have had seemed to have been lost, probably because of the bird's poor condition.
When it finally flew off through some bushes I saw that the under-parts were of the same light colour as the chin, not white but flecked with brown. It was obviously very exhausted. All the above particulars were carefully noted and when I looked up Coward's Birds of the British Isles the short note on the Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica) seemed to fit the observations I had made exactly.'
[In spite of the bird's extreme rarity in Britain, Mr. Gaskell's careful account leaves no doubt of its identity. - Eds.]
1950-57 RECORDS
3). 1952 Norfolk Cley-next-the-Sea, 6th to 25th March.
(M. Meiklejohn & R. A. Richardson, British Birds 46: 263-264; R. A. Richardson, British Birds 46: 432; Seago, 1977).
History M. Meiklejohn & R. A. Richardson (1953) in British Birds, Vol. XLVI. pp. 263-264, say: 'On March 6th, 1952, a bird subsequently identified by W. F. Bishop and J. Johnson as a Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo daurica) was seen at Cley, and later at Blakeney, Norfolk.
In the days that followed its favourite haunt was the quay at Blakeney, but it frequently disappeared for some hours, even returning to Cley on several occasions. The bird was watched for many hours by a large number of observers including Dr. B. B. Riviere, R. P. Bagnall-Oakeley, G. T. Kay and P. A. D. Hollom, apart from the writers. It was last seen on March 25th. Most of its time was spent on the wing, but it often perched on electric wires and the outside twigs of small trees. In direct flight it resembled a Swallow (H. rustica) although the absence of a gorget was noticeable and the tail-streamers were thicker (or wider) and distinctly incurved - like the sail of a Sinhalese katamaran. With the tail closed, the streamers crossed each other; when it was spread, the lack of white spots was apparent.
While feeding, the bird more closely resembled a House Martin (Delichon urbica) with that species' steep, fluttering climbs after high-flying insects, long glides on horizontal wings (slightly upswept at the tips) and the pale rump which at times appeared almost white. When it alighted, it jerked its tail once or twice like a Swallow, and then held its wings loosely beneath the tail. The bird was twice seen to dip down and try to drink from the glass roof of a conservatory, evidently mistaking the shining surface for water, before flying to the harbour and taking one sip of salt water. It was suspected of roosting in a barn at Blakeney, but this was not proved.
The following description was made during several hours watching: crown and mantle steely blue-black; nape, neck and superciliary stripe orange-red ("Brambling-colour"); dark smudge through eye; upper rump orange-red shading to pale biscuit on the lower rump; upper and under tail-coverts black; wings and tail blackish-brown, latter with no white spots; entire under-parts pale reddish-buff; under wing-coverts the same except for blackish primary-coverts; bill dark; legs and feet perhaps rather paler than Swallow's. On March 16th P. A. D. Hollom heard it give two or three harsh, throaty twitters when it perched on a telephone-wire; otherwise no notes were heard.'
4). 1952 Devon Lundy, 27th March.
(P. E. Davis, British Birds 46: 264-265; Moore, 1969; Tyler, 2010).
History P. E. Davis (1953) in British Birds, Vol. XLVI. pp. 264-265, says: 'On March 27th, 1952, whilst walking along the cliff-edge above Goat Island on the west coast of Lundy, John Ogilvie and the writer were rather surprised to see a swallow with a sandy-chestnut rump flying by. The bird remained about the west sidelands of the island, where there was protection from a fresh easterly breeze, throughout the day, feeding in company with a Swallow (Hirundo rustica) and two Sand Martins (Riparia riparia). It was seen on several occasions at distances of less than ten feet, in excellent light, and the following details were noted: size, slightly larger than the accompanying Swallow, body rather longer in proportion; blue sheen on back and crown; wings and tail a drabber, sooty colour; tail long and deeply forked; nuchal band chestnut; rump rich sandy-chestnut, paler towards tail; under-parts a warm sandy-buff colour. The bird was obviously a Red-rumped Swallow (H. daurica).'
Accepted locally (Moore 1969; (Tyler 2010).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1909 Sussex Jury's Gap, adult female, 16th May.
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 23: 93; M. J. Nicoll, British Birds 3: 122-123; E. N. Bloomfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 1: 206, 207; Ticehurst, 1909).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1909) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XXIII. p. 93, at the 151st Meeting of the Club held on 26th May 1909 at Pagani's Restaurant, London, says: 'Mr. M. J. Nicoll exhibited British-killed examples of the following species: - Red-rumped Swallow. Shot at Jury Gap near Lydd on the 16th of May, 1909. This bird, the second recorded British example, was examined in the flesh by Mr. Nicoll, after it had been sent to Mr. Bristow for preservation.'
M. J. Nicoll (1909) in British Birds, Vol. III. pp. 122-123, says: 'At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club held on May 26th, 1909, I exhibited an adult female Red-rumped Swallow (Hirundo rufula). This bird was shot on May 16th, 1909, at Jury Gap, on the coast actually on the boundary of Kent and Sussex, and was seen in the flesh by Dr. N. F. Ticehurst and myself. This is the second recorded occurrence of this species in Great Britain, the first having been recorded from Fair Island by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke.
The appearance of this Swallow in Great Britain is not so very surprising as an example was obtained on Heligoland on May 31st, 1855. The habitat of this species as given by Mr. Dresser (Man. Pal. Birds, p. 267) is: - "Southern Europe as far west as Italy and Sicily, ranging east through Asia Minor, Palestine to Persia, Afghanistan and Turkestan. In winter it occurs as far south as Abyssinia, and it has strayed on one occasion at least as far north as Heligoland, and has occurred in Malta". Both this bird and the Brown Flycatcher (recorded on p. 112) were sent to Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards, for preservation.'
E. N. Bloomfield (1909) in the Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist, Vol. I. pp. 206, 207, says: 'We are again indebted to Dr. N. F. Ticehurst for a long list of rare birds which have occurred in our own and neighbouring districts, to which Mr. Butterfield has made some good additions. In neighbouring districts - Hirundo rufila, Temm., Red-rumped Swallow, Jury Gap, adult female, May 16th, second British example.'
Accepted locally (Ticehurst 1909: 556).
Comment Locality is in Sussex (Sussex Bird Report 1953: 5). Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1931 Fair Isle No locality, seen, 19th June.
(Williamson, 1965; Dymond, 1991).
[Not in BOU, 1971; Pennington et al., 2004].
History P. E. Davis (Williamson 1965) under 'A List of the Birds of Fair Isle', says: 'One reported as seen on 19th June 1931.'
Dymond (1991) says the same without any further information, while, Pennington et al. (2004: 355) follow the BOU (1971) in their "Status" book in not accepting it.
0). 1947 Devon Sidmouth, two, seen, 25th April.
(M. Brooks-King, Devon Bird-Watching and Preservation Society Report 1948: 24-25).
[M. Brooks-King, Devon Bird-Watching and Preservation Society Report 1948: 24-25].
History M. Brooks-King (1948) in the Devon Bird-Watching and Preservation Society Report, Vol. XXI. pp. 24-25, says: 'E. Sidmouth. April 25th, 1947, two with a company of Swallows, House Martins and Sand Martins, hawking over and near R. Sid. Attention of Miss Hindley attracted to them by noticing their throats were buff in colour. Their under-parts were buff, but a richer shade than on the Swallows present; the nape and sides of the neck of each bird were chestnut.
She had no good view of upperparts as she was below the birds; but a companion, Miss S. Retinger, from a higher view-point looked down on them as they dashed past, and saw distinctly the lower part of a back, which was chestnut. The two birds swooped about very actively, and at ends of flights along the river soared up into the air higher than the Swallows did before each return. They were observed for two or three minutes before they proceeded up the valley. (Miss G. Hindley, per W.L.Cr.).'
[In the opinion of the Editorial Committee this is a good record, but as only four records are accepted in The Handbook - they think it safer to include it in square brackets. - Eds.]
