Black-crowned Crane
Balearica pavonina (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photo © By BB 22385 / Grue couronnée (Zoo Amiens) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42505207
STATUS
Africa. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1871 Ayrshire Near Dalry, shot, 17th September.
(Eds., Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow 2: 178-179; R. Gray, Ibis 1872: 201; Yarrell, 1871-85).
[BOU, 1883].
History Anon. (1872) in the Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, Vol. II. pp. 178-179, at the meeting of 30th January, 1872, says: 'Mr. Gray exhibited the following birds, which have occurred in the West of Scotland during the last six months: - 1. A specimen of the Balearic Crane (Grus pavonina), shot near Dalry, Ayrshire, on 17th September. This large and beautiful bird had made its appearance in the neighbourhood about a week previously, and was repeatedly seen soaring with a strong and vigorous flight at a considerable height in the air. It then became a marked object, and when it alighted it was heard giving utterance to loud and discordant cries, the only effect of which was to draw the closer attention of those who had designs on its life. On being approached it ran with great swiftness before taking wing, and after being hunted from one farm to another, it was at last shot while perched on a hay-rick towards the close of a quiet Sabbath....Mr. Gray further stated that the greatest care had been taken to ascertain that the specimen was in reality a wild bird, both by himself and his friend Mr. James Stirrat, banker, Dalry, to whom he expressed his obligations for the fullest information regarding its occurrence and capture.'
Robert Gray (1872) in The Ibis, Vol. XIV. p. 201, says: 'A specimen of the Balearic Crane (Grus pavonina) was shot near Dalry, in Ayrshire, on the 17th of September last, and forwarded to me for identification by a friend who happened to hear of the circumstance. The bird had made its appearance in the neighbourhood a few days previously, and was repeatedly seen soaring with a strong and vigorous flight at a considerable height in the air. It then became a marked object; and when it alighted it was heard giving utterance to loud and discordant cries, the only effect of which was to draw the closer attention of those who had designs on its life. On being approached, it ran with great swiftness before taking wing; and after being hunted from one farm to another, it was at last shot while perched on a hay-rick, towards the close of a quiet sabbath. On dissection it was found that the stomach was entirely empty. I may add that the greatest care has been taken to ascertain that the bird was not an escaped specimen.'
Howard Saunders (1882-84 (3): 192, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'A specimen of the Balearic Crane was recorded by Mr. R. Gray (Ibis, 1872, p. 201), who examined the specimen, as having been shot near Dalry, in Ayrshire, on the 17th September, 1871. This, again, is a bird often kept in confinement, and which even as a straggler has seldom, if indeed ever, visited the northern shores of the Mediterranean; its home being Northern and Western Africa.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883).
