Thrush Nightingale
Luscinia luscinia (Linnaeus, 1758) (1, 1)
Photo © Euan Ferguson - North Ronaldsay, Orkney, 9 May 2016
STATUS
Palearctic. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
Formerly known as the Sprosser.
There are just two records for this period, both as per (BOU (1971).
RECORD
1). 1911 Fair Isle South Light, male, shot, 15th May, now at National Museums of Scotland (NMSZ 1912.38.39).
(W. E. Clarke, Scottish Naturalist 1912: 9; Eds., British Birds 5: 240-241; Clarke, 1912; BOU, 1915; Witherby, 1920-24; Bedford, 1937; Pennington et al., 2004).
History Wm. Eagle Clarke (1912) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. XXXII. p. 9, says: 'Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) at Fair Isle. - This was one of the rarities which rewarded us during our visit to Fair Isle in the spring of 1911. This waif arrived in company with a crowd of birds of passage (of which no less than twenty-four species came under notice) on the 15th of May 1911. It was observed seeking food among the rocks at the foot of a cliff behind the south lighthouse....There is one previous record for the occurrence of this bird in Britain, namely, one obtained at Smeeth, in Kent, on 22nd October 1904; but this has hitherto been regarded as unsatisfactory. This species differs from the Common Nightingale, in having the upper plumage darker and of a more olive tint; the tail dark brown with only a slight reddish tinge; the feathers of the chest and sides of the breast darker, with light edgings and basal shaft spots, which give these parts a mottled or clouded appearance. In addition, the first primary is shorter and narrower, and is much shorter than the primary coverts; while the third primary is the longest, and the second generally equal to the fourth. It is a larger bird than its congener, the wing measuring 3.6 ins....It has been considered desirable to describe this bird, as no description of it is to be found in any works devoted to British birds.'
In an Editorial (1912) in British Birds, Vol. V. pp. 240-241, they say: 'In our last number Mr. L. A. C. Edwards gave us a record of a Thrush Nightingale or Sprosser (supra, p. 224), which must, we think, be considered as a very doubtful one, as there is no certainty that the locality marked on the case really referred to the bird which was found in it. The specimen obtained at Smeeth (Kent) on October 22nd, 1904 (cf. Vol. I. p. 8) has been considered as a doubtfully genuine migrant, owing to the late date of its occurrence. Dr. Hartert showed at the time that the bird left its breeding-places in August and early September. Nevertheless it may have been a belated migrant.
We now have, however, an occurrence recorded by Mr. W. Eagle Clarke (Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 9), which must be regarded as that of a genuine migrant. This example arrived in company with a crowd of migrants at Fair Isle on May 15th, 1911. The Thrush Nightingale differs from our Nightingale chiefly in the considerably more brownish, less rufous, colouring of its upper-parts; in the breast and sides of the throat being mottled with greyish-brown; and in the first (bastard) primary being very small and narrow, and only about half the length of the primary-coverts, whereas in our Nightingale it is much larger, and usually considerably longer than the primary-coverts.
The Thrush Nightingale breeds in south and middle Sweden, south Finland, Denmark, a narrow belt along the Baltic in north Germany, north-east Germany generally, Galizia, Trans-sylvania, Roumania, Russia east to the Ural (Orenburg), and south-west Siberia to the Altai. It is casual and rare in west Europe, and winters in east Africa.
With regard to its scientific name, there can be no doubt that Linnaeus referred to the Thrush Nightingale and not the Common Nightingale under the name "Motacilla luscinia", and that the Thrush Nightingale must be called, by the International Rules, Luscinia luscinia, and our Nightingale Luscinia megarhyncha. We are extremely glad to note that Mr. Eagle Clarke follows the Rules, and calls the Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia (Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 9). It is unfortunate that the name luscinia must be transferred from our Nightingale to the Thrush Nightingale, but unless the Law of Priority is strictly adhered to, it will be quite impossible to attain to uniformity. So long as individual choice is allowed and departures from the Rules are made, then so long will uniformity be delayed. That uniformity is our greatest need, and that this can only be reached by strict adherence to International Rules is our firm conviction, and we sincerely congratulate Mr. Eagle Clarke on his action, by which the Law of Priority is recognized in an important case.'
Clarke (1912 (2): 141) under 'The Birds of Fair Isle', quotes the same story as in the Annals.
Admitted nationally in their second List of British Birds as the first for Britain (BOU 1915).
Mary, Duchess of Bedford (1937: 31) says: 'Wilson shot what Mr. Eagle Clarke says is a Nightingale. It does not seem to me to be nearly russet enough for our common one.'
Further, in a footnote, she adds: 'This bird proved to be a Thrush Nightingale: the only certain occurrence of that species in Great Britain.'
Pennington et al. (2004) says: 'Jerome Wilson shot this bird by the South Light and it was examined by Eagle Clarke and Mary, Duchess of Bedford.'
Comment The description in the Annals is thought to be from the specimen.
1950-57 RECORD
2). 1957 Fair Isle Gully, first-summer, trapped, 10th May.
(P. E. Davis, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report 1957: 14; P. E. Davis, Fair Isle Bird Observatory Bulletin 3: 163-164; P. E. Davis, British Birds 51: 198; Thom, 1986; Dymond, 1991).
History Peter E. Davis (1958) in British Birds, Vol. LI. p. 198, says: 'A Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) was trapped in the gully at Fair Isle on the afternoon of 10th May 1957. It was examined in the laboratory by Peter Hope Jones and myself, and was later shown to George Stout of Field and James Stout of Midway, who chanced to be working near-by. From The Handbook's description, it seemed that the most certain way of distinguishing this bird from the very similar Nightingale (L. megarhynchos) lay in the short first and long second primaries of the present species. In the captive bird the first was 8 mm. shorter than the primary-coverts and the second only 4.5 mm. shorter than the third or longest primary; only the third primary was emarginate. The measurements taken included: wing (straight) 86 mm., (chord) 83.5 mm., tail 63 mm., bill 13.5 mm., tarsus 27 mm. At a weight of 21.6 gm. our bird seemed light for its size, and this suggests a protracted North Sea crossing in the gentle south-east breeze prevailing at the time.
The plumage of the upper-parts and wings was a uniform earth-brown, rather rufous on the upper tail-coverts and at the outer edges of the primaries. The tail was a rich warm rufous-brown. The chin and throat were whitish in the centre, with a dark earth-brown wash at the sides. The breast and flanks were greyish earth-brown, paler than the mantle, and most feathers had darker centres, with a few warm buff webs about halfway down: this gave a general effect of indistinct vertical striations. The centre of the belly was whitish, the under tail-coverts were warm buff with slight dark barring. The upper mandible of the bill was dark horn, the lower mandible paler with a pinkish tinge. The legs and feet were pinkish-brown, with a purple tinge on the leading edge of the tarsus. The tail was heavily abraded, the primaries not noticeably so. It was decided, from the presence of small paler tips on the outer greater coverts and two or three inner secondaries, that the bird was in its first summer.
This is the third British record for the species, and the second from Fair Isle. Since it breeds as close to Britain as Denmark and southern Scandinavia, it is perhaps surprising that the records are so few, and a very careful examination of any Nightingales caught at the Bird Observatories might well be rewarding. The 1957 bird gave us no opportunities for field observation, but under normal conditions it must be very seldom that the striated breast can be seen, for the members of the genus are notable skulkers. It is perhaps worthwhile, however, to quote that very careful observer, the late Duchess of Bedford, who was present at the shooting of the first Fair Isle specimen in May 1911. She wrote in her diary: "Wilson shot what Mr. Eagle Clarke says is a Nightingale. It does not seem to me nearly russet enough for our common one". The greyer shade of the mantle may therefore be of some value to observers with adequate experience of the commoner bird.'
NOT PROVEN
0). 1845 Norfolk Norwich, taken, 5th June.
(L. A. Curtis Edwards, British Birds 5: 224-225).
[Witherby et al., 1940-52; BOU, 1915, 1971].
History L. A. Curtis Edwards (1912) in British Birds, Vol. V. pp. 224-225, says: 'In view of the rejection by Dr. Hartert and others of the Sprosser obtained at Smeeth, Kent, on October 22nd, 1904, and exhibited by Mr. M. J. Nicoll at a meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club (Bull. B.O.C., XV. p. 20; Saunders, B. B., I. p. 8), I have thought it might be of interest to put on record a specimen in my possession.
In December, 1908, Mr. L. Cullingford of Durham, gave me a supposed Savi's Warbler which he had found in an old case that he was breaking up. He told me that there was a label on the back of the case, giving the following data: "Savi's Warbler, Norwich, June 5th, 1845", together with some other writing that had become illegible.
Unfortunately he had destroyed the label, after making a copy of it, together with the case, so that I did not see it. The specimen was in a very dilapidated condition, and its appearance was quite in accordance with its supposed age, but Mr. Cullingford succeeded in making a passable skin of it.
As I had then no acquaintance with Savi's Warbler, I accepted Mr. Cullingford's identification, and the skin lay in a cabinet drawer until August, 1910, when Mr. M. J. Nicoll recognized it as a Sprosser (Daulias philomela).
On his visit to England last summer, Mr. Nicoll brought Egyptian examples of both Savi's Warbler and the Sprosser, and after careful comparison I am quite satisfied that my bird belongs to the latter species. Of course, the history of the specimen is incomplete, but to me, at least, it bears an air of probability, and the likelihood of its being an escape at that date is much less than in the case of an example obtained within recent years. I see no reason why this species should not occasionally visit our country, though the validity of any modern record must be tainted by reason of the possibility of the bird having escaped from confinement.'
Not admitted nationally as it was not considered a satisfactory record (BOU 1915).
0). 1896 Kent Near Sittingbourne, two, seen, 4th May.
(G. F. Mathew, Zoologist 1896: 192-193; Balston, Shepherd & Bartlett, 1907).
[BOU, 1971].
History G. F. Mathew from Frinstead, Kent (1896) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XX. pp. 192-193, dated 5th May 1896, says: 'I saw a couple of queer warblers yesterday, and, while they are fresh in my memory, will describe them. They were considerably larger than Nightingales, stoutly and robustly built, of a smoky olive-grey colour, under parts lighter; tail short and square; beak strong, shining brown or black; large black eyes. They were evidently a pair, and where chasing each other about; they came quite close to me, and I had them in view several minutes. Their note also was quite strange to me. What could they have been? I have never seen anything like them before. They were in a small coppice by the side of the road between this and Sittingbourne.'
On this communication the Rev. M. A. Mathew observes: "I enclose a note from my brother. The strange warblers are, without any doubt, Daulias philomela, the Northern Nightingale, of which, as yet, there is no record in this country that I know of. My brother's description of the birds tallies closely with that given by Mr. Dresser in Birds of Europe".'
Accepted locally (Balston, Shepherd & Bartlett 1907: 44-45) but not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
0). 1904 Kent Smeeth, immature male, obtained, 22nd October.
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 15: 20; "Hy.S." Field 3rd Dec., 1904: 983).
[W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 15: 47; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 8; E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1904) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XV. p. 20, at the 109th Meeting of the Club held on 16th November 1904 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Mr. M. J. Nicoll exhibited and made remarks on the following birds: - "1. A male of the "Sprosser" Nightingale (Daulias philomela). "This specimen, the first authentic British-killed example of the species, was obtained at Smeeth, in Kent, on the 22nd October, 1904. It was forwarded for preservation to Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards, who kindly brought me the bird in the flesh for examination, and subsequently lent it to me for exhibition.'
"Hy.S." (1904) in The Field of 3rd Dec., Vol. CIV. p. 983, says: 'At the last meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club Mr. M. T. Nicoll exhibited the first authentic British-killed specimen of the Greater Nightingale (Daulias philomela), known in Germany as "Sprosser". It was obtained at Smeeth, near Ashford, Kent, on Oct. 22. Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards, to whom the bird had been sent for mounting, showed it to Mr. Nicoll in the flesh, and afterwards lent it for examination.'
[In view of the remarkably late date, so long after the departure of Nightingales and most other soft-billed birds from this country, it may be permissable to suggest that the "Sprosser" referred to (always a favourite cage bird) may have been imported from Germany and escaped from confinement. - Ed.]
W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1905) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XV. p. 47, at the 112th Meeting of the Club held on 15th February 1905 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Dr. Hartert took the opportunity of calling attention to the example of the Sprosser Nightingale (Daulias philomela) exhibited at a recent meeting of the Club [cf. Bull. B.O.C., XV, no. cx, p. 20 (1904)]. Though this specimen showed no traces of having been kept in captivity, he had no doubt that it had escaped from a cage, for all the Sprosser Nightingales had left N.E. Germany two months previous to the date (22nd October) when the specimen had been procured in Kent. Large numbers of this bird were annually captured and exported by dealers, and if well cared for would show little or no trace of having been kept for a month or two in captivity.'
Howard Saunders (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 8, under 'Additions to the List of British Birds since 1899', placing the record in square brackets, says: 'A male of the Thrush Nightingale or "Sprosser", Daulias philomela, was obtained at Smeeth, Kent, on 22nd October, 1904, and exhibited by Mr. M. J. Nicoll (Bull. B.O.C., XV. p. 20); but later (tom. cit., p. 47) Dr. Hartert gave good reasons for suspecting this to be one of the many annually exported by dealers. For the present, therefore, it does not seem expedient to admit this species to the British List.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
