Steller’s Eider

Anatidae

Dec 19

Written By Keith Naylor

Polysticta stelleri (Pallas, 1769) (5, 0)

STATUS

Holarctic. Monotypic.

OVERVIEW

All five accepted individuals as per BOU (1971).

RECORDS

1). 1830 Norfolk Caister-on-Sea, sub-adult male, shot, 9th February, now at Castle Museum, Norwich (Acc. No. NWHCM: 1831.47).

(Norfolk Chronicle 20th Feb., 1830; W. Yarrell, Loudon's Magazine of Natural History 4: 117; Paget & Paget, 1834; Jenyns, 1835; Macgillivray, 1837-52; Yarrell, 1845; J. H. Gurney & W. R. Fisher, Zoologist 1846: 1378; A. Newton, Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society 2: 409-410, 411, 412; Yarrell, 1871-85; Seebohm, 1883-85; Southwell, 1890; Patterson, 1905; BOU, 1915; Patterson, 1929; Palmer, 2000).

History In the Norfolk Chronicle of 20th February 1830, it says: 'One of the greatest treats for those interested in Natural History is to be seen at that able and zealous ornithologist, Mr. J. Harvey. This northern straggler is Anas stelleri of Pallas, western duck of Pennant, described in his Arctic Zoology. It was shot near this place [Yarmouth] on the 9th inst., and is one of the handsomest of the genus, except A. spectabilis, Linn. It has not been noticed by any author to have before visited this island.'

William Yarrell of London (1831) in Loudon's Magazine of Natural History Vol. IV. p. 117, dated January, 1831, says: 'A male of this beautiful species was shot by a collector near Yarmouth, and is now in the possession of a gentleman at Acle.'

Paget & Paget (1834: 11) say: 'The only British specimen was shot at Caistor [sic], Feb. 10, 1830, and soon after was presented to the Norwich Museum by the Rev. Geo. Steward.'

Jenyns (1835: 243) says: 'This, which was a male specimen, is recorded to have been shot at Caistor, near Yarmouth, in February 1830. It is now in the Norwich Museum.'

Yarrell (1845 (3): 305, 2nd ed.) says: 'A single duck was shot on the 10th February 1830, at Caister, about three miles north of Yarmouth, in Norfolk, and was soon afterwards presented to the Norwich Museum by the Rev. George Steward, as stated by Mr. C. Paget and Mr. J. Paget, in their Sketch of the Natural History of Yarmouth and its neighbourhood.'

J. H. Gurney & W. R. Fisher (1846) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. IV. p. 1378, say: 'An adult male specimen was killed at Caister, near Yarmouth, in February, 1830, and is now in the Norwich Museum.'

Macgillivray (1852 (5): 164) says: 'This specimen, which was shot in February, 1830, at Caistor, near Yarmouth, has been figured in Mr. Audubon's 'gigantic work', from a drawing made by his son, John Woodhouse; as well as by Mr. Yarrell, in his deservedly esteemed History of British Birds, from a drawing made by Mr. Charles Buckler.

It is described in Mr. Audubon's work, partly from the plate and partly from notes taken by Mr. Audubon, jun., part of the description being as follows: "Bill dull greyish-blue, as are the feet; the claws yellowish-grey. The upper part of the head and a broad band surrounding the neck are white; the throat and some feathers surrounding the eye are black; a light green patch in the loral space, and a transverse patch of the same on the nape, margined behind and laterally with black. A broad band on the neck and the whole of the back are velvet black, with green reflections; the smaller wing-coverts white; the secondary coverts (it ought to be the outer secondary quills) bluish-black, terminating in a broad white band; the elongated secondaries and scapulars with the inner web white, the outer black with blue reflections; the primaries and coverts brownish-black, the tail black, as are the lower tail-coverts and abdomen; the rest of the lower parts deep reddish-buff, fading towards the shoulders and neck into pure white; there is a bluish-black spot on each side of the lower part of the neck anterior to the wing".'

Alfred Newton (1874-79) in the Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society, Vol. II. pp. 409-410, quoting from a letter from Dawson Turner to P. J. Selby, dated 23rd May, 1831, says: 'Mr. W. C. Hewitson writes me word that you would be glad of a drawing of the Anas stelleri shot near Yarmouth, and it will afford me great pleasure to send you one.'

Further, in another letter between the above, dated 19th July, 1831, it says: 'I have very much to regret that the delay in the arrival of your letter, which, having been sent by one of our colliers, reached me only a few days ago, has put it out of my power to do what I had wished & intended.

My friend, Rev. G. W. Steward, the proprietor of the Anas stelleri, has just given it, together with the whole of his collection, to the Norwich Museum, so that it is no longer in my power to borrow the bird to have a drawing made of it; nor do I know any person at Norwich who could do it for me. As, however, the Museum already has a drawing made by one of my daughters, I have no doubt they would lend it to you, if such a loan would answer your purpose. And you will oblige me by replying to this question, so that I may know your wishes by next Wednesday, when I must go to Norwich, to attend the Museum Committee, as their President.'

Further, pp. 412-413, in another letter between the above, dated 13th September, 1831, it says: 'I have a great many apologies to make to you, that, having been prevented by indisposition from attending the meeting of the Committee of the Norwich Museum in August, it was but yesterday I was able to procure the drawing of the Anas stelleri. This I received as a loan; and I must therefore beg the favour of you to return it when done with....At the same time, my friend, Mr. Griffin, sent me for your acceptance drawings of the Ardea comata and Sterna caspia, both shot near Yarmouth.

All the three therefore I have consigned to one of the masters of our coal ships, addressed to the care of Mr. Hewitson; and I shall be glad to hear of them reaching you safely.'

Admitted by Howard Saunders (1884-85 (4): 468, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds.

Seebohm (1885 (2): 631) says: 'It has very slender claims to be regarded as a British bird; but it is possible that a stray individual may occasionally wander westward from Russian Lapland as far as our shores, and two such occurrences are on record, one in 1830 and the second in 1845.

The first example is said to have been shot at Caistor [sic], near Yarmouth (Yarrell, Loudon's Mag. Nat. Hist., IV. p. 117), on the 10th of February, and is supposed to be an almost adult male, in the Norwich Museum; but there are several discrepancies in the details of its subsequent history which throw some doubt on the authenticity of the alleged occurrence....These records are rendered probable by the occurrence of two or more immature examples on the island of Heligoland, a locality for rare birds which is less open to doubt than any other in Europe, thanks to the genius of the veteran ornithologist who resides there.'

Southwell, Editor (1890 (3): 192-194) in Stevenson's Birds of Norfolk, says: 'At all events, in the Presentation Book of the Norwich Museum occurs the following entry, under the date of 5th July, 1831: 'Western duck (unique), by the Rev. Gr. W. Steward'; while in the Museum report for the same year the receipt is thus acknowledged: 'The Rev. Gr. W. Steward, rector of Caister, has presented a valuable collection of 152 specimens of British birds and quadrupeds, comprising among them the western duck of Pennant, Anas stelleri, the Purple Heron, and Caspian Tern.'

The subsequent history of this specimen has been very uneventful, as it has only once left the charge of the curator, and that merely for the purpose of being re-mounted.

In the Trans. of the Norfolk and Norwich Nat. Society (II. pp. 409-413) will be found three letters from Mr. Dawson Turner to Selby, who wished to borrow a drawing of this specimen, that he might issue it in his Illustrations of British Ornithology, and eventually procured one from Mr. Turner 'addressed to the care of Mr. Hewitson', and 'consigned to one of the masters of our coal-ships' - a mode of conveyance which shows the difficulty of communication suffered by naturalists in those days (Nothing is now known of this drawing, which was no doubt returned, as requested by Mr. Turner.

Mr. Harting, however, possesses a copy of Sheppard and Whitear's Catalogue, formerly belonging to Mr. Brightwell, of Norwich, containing three water-colour drawings, one of which represents this specimen, and was probably made by Miss Brightwell about the same time as the above. Yarrell also mentions another drawing of this specimen, sent to him for the use of his work by Mr. Charles Buckler.'

These letters corroborate the statements already quoted, and add the information that a French naturalist, believed to have been Delamotte, offered Mr. Steward one hundred French birds in exchange for his specimen. From the same source Mr. Turner also learned that, as mentioned by Selby, almost simultaneously another example had been taken in Denmark - a fact confirmed by Kjaerbölling.

The occurrence was also recorded in 1834 by the Messrs. Paget, but they give the 10th instead of the 9th of February as the date - a discrepancy of no material significance, and one which it would be hardly possible now to remove.

Harvey, into whose possession, as will have been seen, the bird immediately passed, was a well-known dealer in wild-fowl, at Yarmouth, before mentioned in this work, and has long been dead; but Mr. Stevenson, with his usual care, enquired into the matter of his son, and left the result in writing.

"The following", he says, "is young Harvey's account of Steller's duck from Caister. Harvey was quite a lad when he saw a gunner, named George Barrow, returning from shooting with the bird in his hand. He followed him to the alley (the name of which he told me) with Bessey [another gunner], who got the Pratincoles [cf. Vol. II. p. 65] and another man, and then went home and fetched his father. When he [the father] arrived with him, Barrow was going into Bessey's house with the duck, and Harvey, senior, bought it, but did not know what it was (The details above given were, of course, unknown to Mr. Seebohm when referring (Brit. Birds, III. p. 613) to this specimen. He states that "there are several discrepancies in the details of its subsequent history, which throw some doubt on the authenticity of the alleged occurrence". It may be safely asserted that the history of few captures made so long ago, and of equal interest, rests upon better evidence).'

Saunders (1899, 2nd ed.) says: 'The Rev. George Stewart [sic]...and figured in his work. The Rev. E. W. Dowell informed Mr. Stevenson that, in September, 1835 or 1836, Harry Overton, a gunner living at Blakeney, shot there four "very gay" ducks, which were taken to Mr. Charles Sparham, of that place, and left, it was supposed, to be preserved for his collection; but, he being from home, on their arrival the cook dressed them for dinner the same day.

Overton afterwards, on looking over Gould's Birds, at Holkham Hall, immediately recognised in the figure of Steller's Duck the birds he had killed. Mr. Dowell, in a recent letter, thus speaks of Harry Overton: "He was about the best field naturalist I ever knew; he was noted for his very keen eyesight and accurate observation, among many instances of which I may mention that he ascertained for himself the difference between the Sclavonian and eared grebes in winter plumage (both rare birds on the Blakeney coast), and also that the Kittiwake gull had but three toes, although he seldom saw them except on the oyster grounds.

When I took him to Holkham and showed him Gould's birds, I did so on purpose to ascertain, if possible, what the "gay" ducks were, but I gave him no lead whatever; I showed him the drawings of the shore birds as they came, and listened to his more or less interesting observations on each. Directly he saw the western duck, he said, "them's the gay ducks I have often told you about", &c., and I, for one, have not the slightest doubt that "them's them".

What value is to be attached to this statement I must leave for others to decide, but I may remark that these men, who pass their whole life on the shore, are very observant, and quick to detect an unaccustomed bird which is likely to fetch a good price; and of both the intelligence and honesty of Overton Mr. Dowell has often spoken to me in the highest terms.'

Patterson (1905: 195) says: 'Mr. Southwell says it was really obtained on the 9th. The bird, which has since been re-stuffed, is a very beautiful specimen. Stevenson took some trouble to piece together the history of this duck, and states that young Harvey [Alfred Harvey], then a lad, met George Barrow, a gunner returning from a days shooting, with a duck in his hand. He followed him to an alley in company with Bessey, a Breydoner of some renown, and then Alfred ran home to fetch his father, Isaac Harvey, who bought the duck and mounted it. Harvey in turn sold the unidentified duck to the Rev. G. W. Steward, Rector of Caister. Steward's collection was presented to the Castle Museum, Norwich. One was taken in Denmark simultaneously with the Yarmouth example.'

Previously, p. 79, Patterson adds: 'Both Alfred and Isaac Harvey became well known taxidermists in the Great Yarmouth area, and were also known to lose rare specimens to rats or the pet cat.'

Admitted nationally in their second List of British Birds (BOU 1915).

Patterson (1929: 137) says: 'The general opinion has been that the bird was shot on the shore at Caister. My father, who knew Barrow, got it from the man's own lips that he was on Caister Marshes, not a great way from the Bure, and the Black Boards, where he saw it sitting in a pool of water, and to use Barrow's own words, "I crept on my hands and knees, as close as I could get, but it was still too far off for a shot. My hands had become numbed with cold, and well nigh frozen; so I says to myself, "If I don't get a shot now directly, I shall be too cold to get a shot at all".

However, the bird came within range, and I let go. One shot struck the duck just above the eye. I took out my handkerchief, and rolled it up, put it round the bird's neck, and strangled it.'

Palmer (2000) adds: 'It has since been re-stuffed and is in good condition on public display (Accession no. 47.31).'

2). 1845 Yorkshire Filey Brigg, male, shot, 15th August.

(Yarrell, 1845; R. J. Bell, Zoologist 1846: 1249; Newman, 1866; Clarke & Roebuck, 1881; Yarrell, 1871-85; Seebohm, 1883-85; Nelson, 1907; Witherby, 1920-24; Mather, 1986).

History Yarrell (1845 (1): x, 2nd ed.) under 'Preface' says: 'George N. Cozens of Weston Lodge, near Derby, sent me word that on the 15th August 1835 [sic], he shot this duck while it was sitting on the sea just off the rocks of the promontory called Filey Brigg, six or seven miles south of Scarborough. The bird was alone. Mr. Cozens very obligingly sent the skin for my examination. It proved to be that of a male, but, like some other males in this family, exhibited the plumage of the female over the head and neck; but the autumn moult having commenced, the white feathers about the head, and the black feathers on the chin and on the bottom of the neck behind, which distinguish the adult male, were just beginning to make their appearance, forming an interesting state of change.'

Robert J. Bell (1846) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. IV. p. 1249, says: 'On 15th August 1845, a Steller's Western Duck was shot at Filey, Yorkshire, by Mr. G. Curzon of Weston Lodge, Derbyshire; it was a male assuming its winter plumage. This bird has been submitted to the inspection of Mr. Yarrell; it is now in Mr. Curzon's collection.'

Clarke & Roebuck (1881: 58) add: 'Now in the collection of Mr. Thomas Boynton of Ulrome Grange.' Admitted by Howard Saunders (1884-85) in Yarrell's British Birds, 4th edition, Vol. IV. p. 469.

Seebohm (1885 (3): 613) says: 'The second example was shot by Mr. George N. Curzon, at Filey Brigg, in Yorkshire, on the 15th of August (Bell, Zoologist, 1846, p. 1249), and was a male assuming its nuptial dress.

These records are rendered probable by the occurrence of two or more immature examples on the island of Heligoland, a locality for rare birds which is less open to doubt than any other in Europe, thanks to the genius of the veteran ornithologist who resides there.'

Saunders (1899, 2nd ed.) says: 'Shot...by the late Mr. G. N. Curzon, and is in the collection of his brother Lord Scarsdale, at Kedleston, where I have examined it.'

Accepted locally (Nelson 1907 (2): 476-477; Mather 1986).

Comment Yarrell stated 1835 erroneously for the correct date of 1845.

3). 1947 Orkney Wide Firth, Gairsay, two: adult male and immature male, 5th, 12th and 19th January.

(G. Arthur, British Birds 40: 253; Baxter & Rintoul, 1953; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).

History George Arthur (1947) in British Birds, Vol. XL. p. 253, says: 'On January 5th, 1947, after a 10 days' easterly gale in the Orkneys, I went out in my motor-boat from Kirkwall to see what birds had been driven in by the storm. Near the island of Gairsay I had good views of two Steller's Eiders Polysticta stelleri, I saw these birds again on two subsequent dates, January 12th and 19th. On the last occasion I found the birds pretty tame and I was able to stop the boat and watch them for 15 minutes before they flew. One of them appeared to be simply black and white, from which I presume it to have been immature. The other showed a good deal of colour. The green nape patch stood out well on the white head and the black ring round the neck could be well seen. The orange-brown of the under-parts was noticeable in flight. The bill of the first bird was a dull blue colour, that of the other showed a blue colour with a lighter nail. When they flew the head looked absurdly small for the body and the neck long and thin; the white fore-part of the wing showed up well. The speculum on one seemed to show mostly white, but on the other the speculum showed a good deal of purple with white in front and behind.

The appearance was very distinctive and the birds could be picked out as strangers from a good distance.'

Accepted nationally as the first for Scotland (Baxter & Rintoul 1953; Forrester & Andrews et al. 2007).

5). 1949 Orkney Sandside Bay, Deerness, Mainland, male, 13th November.

(G. Arthur, Scottish Naturalist 62: 57-58; Booth, Cuthbert & Reynolds, 1984; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007).

History George Arthur of Kirkwall (1950) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. LXII. pp. 57-58, says: 'For over an hour I watched a male Steller's Eider at Sandside Bay, Deerness, Orkney, on 13th November 1949. It was in company with a party of Common Eiders Somateria mollissima and seems not to be shy at all as it stayed very near for this time. Only when I walked along the beach did it swam slowly out to sea, leaving the flock of eiders. It showed no chestnut on flanks and breast, being uniformly white on these parts. Its beak was a medium blue, showing no other change of colour even at the tip. The greenish patch on the nape stood out very well indeed against the white head. The throat was black and the black collar was extremely distinctive, also the black patch on centre of back. Wing pattern was rather more white than black but showed a good deal of black on primaries and coverts. Only once did it stick its head up when a wave rather bigger than usual struck it. I was struck again by the thinness of the neck when stretched, the head looking rather bigger than it should be on such a thin neck. I noticed this peculiarity in the two I reported in British Birds, Vol. XL. p. 253, seen in January 1947.

I would like to suggest that the only other duck it might be confused with, and it would need a very bad light indeed to do this, would be an immature male Long-tail of which we possess an abundance each winter.'

Accepted nationally (Forrester & Andrews et al. 2007).

NOT PROVEN

0). 1835 or 1836 Norfolk Blakeney, four, shot, September.

(Southwell, 1890).

[BOU, 1971].

History Southwell, Editor (1890 (3): 194-195) in Stevenson's Birds of Norfolk, says: 'The Rev. E. W. Dowell informed Mr. Stevenson that, in September, 1835 or 1836, Harry Overton, a gunner living at Blakeney, shot there four "very gay" ducks, which were taken to Mr. Charles Sparham, of that place, and left, it was supposed, to be preserved for his collection; but, he being from home, on their arrival the cook dressed them for dinner the same day. Overton afterwards, on looking over Gould's Birds, at Holkham Hall, immediately recognised in the figure of Steller's Duck the birds he had killed.

Mr. Dowell, in a recent letter, thus speaks of Harry Overton: "He was about the best field naturalist I ever knew; he was noted for his very keen eyesight and accurate observation, among many instances of which I may mention that he ascertained for himself the difference between the Sclavonian and Eared Grebes in winter plumage (both rare birds on the Blakeney coast), and also that the Kittiwake gull had but three toes, although he seldom saw them except on the oyster grounds.

When I took him to Holkham and showed him Gould's birds, I did so on purpose to ascertain, if possible, what the gay ducks were, but I gave him no lead whatever; I showed him the drawings of the shore birds as they came, and listened to his more or less interesting observations on each. Directly he saw the western duck, he said, "them's the gay ducks I have often told you about", &c., and I, for one, have not the slightest doubt that "them's them".

Comment Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971). Not acceptable.

0). 1847 Clyde Islands Arran, pair, obtained, 11th June.

(Eds., Ibis 5: 477).

[BOU, 1971].

History In an Editorial in The Ibis (1863) Vol. V. p. 477, about the collection of Dr. Martin Barry, which was bought by J. H. Gurney, they say: 'Lastly are added certain notes in explanation of some of these strange phenomena, in the course of which we are informed that the author believes...that he had just discovered his pair of hybrid Ducks, obtained in the Island of Arran, June 11th, 1847, to be Steller's Western Duck (Somateria dispar) of some little rarity.'

Comment Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971). Not acceptable.

AC Non-pass

Keith Naylor

Steller’s Eider

Polysticta stelleri (Pallas, 1769) (5, 0)

Ring-necked Duck

King Eider