Black Lark
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis Forster, JR, 1768
Photo © By Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom - Black Lark (Melanocorypha yeltoniensis), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47039129
STATUS
Central Eurasia. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally during the period covered (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). c. 1737 Greater London Near Highgate, Middlesex, male, trapped, spring.
(Albin, 1738; W. E. Clarke, Scottish Naturalist 37: 49-50; J. Mlikovsky, British Birds 99: 262-263, plate 127).
[Eds., British Birds 11: 69].
History Wm. Eagle Clarke (1917) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. XXXVII. pp. 49-50, says: 'It has been the custom in this magazine to allude to the occurrences of the rarer animals which have been observed or captured in various parts of the British Isles other than Scotland. Now it is desired to draw attention to an old-time record of a visit of one of the rarest birds on the British list, namely, the Black Lark (Melanocorypha yeltoniensis) to Middlesex in or about 1737. This appears to have hitherto escaped the notice of ornithologists, perhaps because it was regarded as an aberration; indeed, Latham, in his Synopsis (II. pt. 2, p. 370, 1783), considered it to be a dusky variety of the Skylark - a conclusion which the writer does not consider justifiable. This interesting account, which pre-dates by 170 years the hitherto supposed first record of this bird's appearance in Britain, is contained in Albin's Natural History of Birds (Vol. III. p. 47), published in 1738, and is as follows: - "The Black Lark, Plate 51. The Bill of this Bird was of a dusky yellow; the Irides of the eyes yellowish. It was all over of a dark reddish brown, inclining to black, excepting the hind part of the Head, on which was some dusky yellowish Feathers, likewise some Feathers with whitish edges on the Belly. The Legs, Feet, and Claws were of a dirty yellow. This Lark was taken with a Clap Net by one of the Birdcatchers in a field near "Highgate," and brought to me by Mr. "Davenport", which I have taken care to draw exactly from the Bird, neither adding or diminishing in the Draught or Colouring. This being a Curiosity, I was desired by one of my Subscribers to make a Plate of it". The figure, like all Albin's plates, is crude, but taken in conjunction with the text, leaves no doubt that the bird was a male Black Lark. The date of the occurrence is not given, but the Plate has the year 1737 inscribed upon it, a feature not common in Albin's pictures, and probably indicates the year of capture.'
In an Editorial (1917) in British Birds, Vol. XI. p. 69, they say: 'Dr. W. E. Clarke draws attention (Scot. Nat., 1917, pp. 49-50) to the plate and description of the "Black Lark" in Albin's Natural History of Birds (1738, Vol. III. p. 47 and Plate 51) and contends that this bird, which was got in Middlesex about 1737, was an example of Melanocorypha yeltoniensis. With this conclusion we cannot at all agree for the following reasons: The bill as drawn is not in the least like the very characteristic thick and heavy bill of Melanocorypha, but is exactly the size and shape of the much more slender bill of Alauda: the legs and feet are described (and coloured in the plate) as "dirty yellow", while those of M. yeltoniensis are black; the bird is described as "dark reddish-brown inclining to black", but in the plate is made jet black except for the wings, which are dark brown - the male M. yeltoniensis is jet black all over (with whitish tips to the feathers in fresh plumage) and is without any brown. The colouring in Albin's plates is usually crude and exaggerated but the drawing of the bills in most of the plates is quite good. We have no doubt whatever that the bird described and figured was a melanistic variety of the Skylark, and there are examples like it in many museums. As pointed out by Dr. Clarke, Latham, in 1782, considered it to be a dusky variety of the Skylark, a conclusion which Dr. Clarke "does not consider justifiable", though why, he does not state. We have given our reasons against its having been a Melanocorypha yeltoniensis and see no reason why it should not have been a melanistic variety of Alauda arvensis, such varieties being of not very rare occurrence.'
Comment Probably misidentified. Not acceptable.
0). 1907 Sussex Pevensey Levels, four: two males and two females, seen: adult male, shot, 29th January.
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 19: 57-59; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 14; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1907) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XIX. pp. 57-59, at the 130th Meeting of the Club held on 20th February 1907 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Mr. C. B. Ticehurst exhibited a species new to the British Avifauna, and made the following remarks: - "The male, which was in company with another male and two females, was shot by Mr. Sargeant at Sewers Bridge, near Pevensey, Sussex, on Jan. 29th, 1907. Thinking it was a variety of Sky Lark, he sent it to Mr. Bristow, taxidermist, of St. Leonards, and the latter received it by post on Jan. 31. It was brought to me for examination in the flesh, but, unfortunately, I was out, and I did not see it till the following day, when it was mounted and in the braces. It is an adult male in winter plumage. The female was brought to me in the flesh on Feb. 2, 1907, by Mr. Bristow, who had just received it by post from Lydd, Kent, where it had been shot on Jan. 31st. It was accompanied by a male and two females, and the man who shot it aimed at the male bird as being a stranger to him, but the shot killed the female. Since these two were obtained, I hear from my brother that another male was shot at Lydd, Kent, on Feb. 18th, and another at Rye, Sussex, on Feb. 16, and that others have been seen.
The weather during the previous week had been very cold. On Jan. 23 there was an easterly gale, a most unusual thing at that time of year, and the following days were cold with north and north-east winds. The wind blew strongly from the south-east on the 28th, but was back again in the north and north-east on the 30th and 31st....I would suggest that this flock of Black Larks migrated in front of the wave of very cold weather, which spread westward over Europe in January, and that, after striking the Kent and Sussex coasts, they scattered, settling in suitable localities. It is quite possible we may hear of some having occurred elsewhere on our coasts or in other parts of western Europe. In congratulating Mr. C. B. Ticehurst on the acquisition of these specimens, Mr. Howard Saunders remarked that for some years he had been expecting the Black Lark as an addition to the list of wanderers to the British Islands".'
Howard Saunders (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 14, under 'Additions to the List of British Birds since 1899,' says: 'Towards the end of January, 1907, quite a flock of this conspicuous species appears to have visited the south-east of England, and three examples of these were exhibited at the B.O.C. by Mr. C. B. Ticehurst and Mr. W. R. Butterfield. Unusually full particulars are to be found in Bulletin, XIX. pp. 57-59, and therefore need not be repeated here. I have heard that many "from the Continent" were on sale in Leadenhall Market.'
Accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938 (1): 179).
Comment Hastings rarities. Not acceptable.
0). 1907 Kent Lydd, four (male and three females): female, shot, 31st January; same as Sussex, female now at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (Acc. No. 1954Z1.815).
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 19: 57-59; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 14; Ticehurst, 1909; Watson, 2010).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1907) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XIX. pp. 57-59, at the 130th Meeting of the Club held on 20th February 1907 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Mr. C. B. Ticehurst exhibited a species new to the British Avifauna, and made the following remarks: - "The male, which was in company with another male and two females, was shot by Mr. Sargeant at Sewers Bridge, near Pevensey, Sussex, on Jan. 29th, 1907. Thinking it was a variety of Sky Lark, he sent it to Mr. Bristow, taxidermist, of St. Leonards, and the latter received it by post on Jan. 31. It was brought to me for examination in the flesh, but, unfortunately, I was out, and I did not see it till the following day, when it was mounted and in the braces. It is an adult male in winter plumage. The female was brought to me in the flesh on Feb. 2, 1907, by Mr. Bristow, who had just received it by post from Lydd, Kent, where it had been shot on Jan. 31st. It was accompanied by a male and two females, and the man who shot it aimed at the male bird as being a stranger to him, but the shot killed the female. Since these two were obtained, I hear from my brother that another male was shot at Lydd, Kent, on Feb. 18th, and another at Rye, Sussex, on Feb. 16, and that others have been seen.
The weather during the previous week had been very cold. On Jan. 23 there was an easterly gale, a most unusual thing at that time of year, and the following days were cold with north and north-east winds. The wind blew strongly from the south-east on the 28th, but was back again in the north and north-east on the 30th and 31st....I would suggest that this flock of Black Larks migrated in front of the wave of very cold weather, which spread westward over Europe in January, and that, after striking the Kent and Sussex coasts, they scattered, settling in suitable localities. It is quite possible we may hear of some having occurred elsewhere on our coasts or in other parts of western Europe.
In congratulating Mr. C. B. Ticehurst on the acquisition of these specimens, Mr. Howard Saunders remarked that for some years he had been expecting the Black Lark as an addition to the list of wanderers to the British Islands".'
Howard Saunders (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 14, under 'Additions to the List of British Birds since 1899,' says: 'Towards the end of January, 1907, quite a flock of this conspicuous species appears to have visited the south-east of England, and three examples of these were exhibited at the B.O.C. by Mr. C. B. Ticehurst and Mr. W. R. Butterfield. Unusually full particulars are to be found in Bulletin, XIX. pp. 57-59, and therefore need not be repeated here. I have heard that many "from the Continent" were on sale in Leadenhall Market.'
Ticehurst (1909: 222) says: '...All of these birds passed through Mr. Bristow's hands, and were examined in the flesh by different ornithologists....'
Watson (2010) in detailing the W. R. Lysaght collection in the Birmingham Museum lists a female specimen from Lydd, Kent, that was obtained on 31st January 1907, adding that it was from H. N. Pashley, the taxidermist at Cley.
Comment Hastings rarities. Not acceptable.
0). 1907 Sussex Rye, male, killed, 16th February, now at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (Acc. No. 1954Z1.814).
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 19: 59; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 14; Walpole-Bond, 1938; Watson, 2010).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1907) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XIX. p. 59, at the 130th Meeting of the Club held on 20th February 1907 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Mr. W. Ruskin Butterfield also exhibited a male specimen of the Black Lark [Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (Forst.)], shot at Rye, Sussex, on the 16th February, 1907. It was sent to Mr. G. Bristow, of St. Leonards, and had been shown by him to the exhibitor, before it was skinned.'
Howard Saunders (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 14, under 'Additions to the List of British Birds since 1899,' says: 'Towards the end of January, 1907, quite a flock of this conspicuous species appears to have visited the south-east of England, and three examples of these were exhibited at the B.O.C. by Mr. C. B. Ticehurst and Mr. W. R. Butterfield. Unusually full particulars are to be found in Bulletin, xix., pp. 57-59, and therefore need not be repeated here. I have heard that many "from the Continent" were on sale in Leadenhall Market.'
Accepted locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (1): 179) who adds: '...now in the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton.'
Watson (2010) in detailing the W. R. Lysaght collection in the Birmingham Museum lists a male specimen from Rye, Sussex, that was obtained on 16th February 1907, adding that it was from H. N. Pashley, the taxidermist at Cley. It was also examined in the flesh by Dr. N. F. Ticehurst, Mr. J. L. Bonhote and Mr. Ruskin Butterfield.
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1907 Kent Lydd, male, 18th February, now at Booth Museum, Brighton; same as Sussex.
(W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 19: 57-59; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 14; Ticehurst, 1909).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History W. R. Ogilvie-Grant, Editor (1907) in the Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club, Vol. XIX. pp. 57-59, at the 130th Meeting of the Club held on 20th February 1907 at the Restaurant Frascati, London, says: 'Mr. C. B. Ticehurst exhibited a species new to the British Avifauna, and made the following remarks: - "...Since these two were obtained, I hear from my brother that another male was shot at Lydd, Kent, on Feb. 18th"...'
Howard Saunders (1907) in British Birds, Vol. I. p. 14, under 'Additions to the List of British Birds since 1899,' says: 'Towards the end of January, 1907, quite a flock of this conspicuous species appears to have visited the south-east of England, and three examples of these were exhibited at the B.O.C. by Mr. C. B. Ticehurst and Mr. W. R. Butterfield. Unusually full particulars are to be found in Bulletin, XIX. pp. 57-59, and therefore need not be repeated here. I have heard that many "from the Continent" were on sale in Leadenhall Market.'
Ticehurst (1909: 222) says: 'All of these birds passed through Mr. Bristow's hands, and were examined in the flesh by different ornithologists....the male, now in the Booth Museum, was seen by Mr. Butterfield.'
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1915 Sussex Hollington, male, seen, early January.
(T. Parkin, British Birds 9: 68; W. R. Butterfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 2: 196; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History Thomas Parkin (1915) in British Birds, Vol. IX. p. 68, says: 'A male was seen at the Grove, Hollington, St. Leonards-on-Sea, early in the month of January, 1915, and a female was shot at Westfield (Sussex) on January 30th, and another (also a female) at the same place on February 1st.'
Accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938 (1): 179).
Comment Hastings rarity. Not acceptable.
0). 1915 Sussex Westfield, two, females, shot, 30th January and 1st February.
(T. Parkin, British Birds 9: 68; W. R. Butterfield, Hastings & East Sussex Naturalist 2: 196; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History Thomas Parkin (1915) in British Birds, Vol. IX. p. 68, says: 'A male was seen at the Grove, Hollington, St. Leonards-on-Sea, early in the month of January, 1915, and a female was shot at Westfield (Sussex) on January 30th, and another (also a female) at the same place on February 1st.'
Accepted locally by Walpole-Bond (1938 (1): 179) who adds: 'The one shot on 1st February is now in the Dyke Road Museum, Brighton.'
Comment Hastings rarities. Not acceptable.
