Calandra Lark
Melanocorypha calandra (Linnaeus, 1766)
Photo © Kris Webb
STATUS
Southwest Eurasia and north Africa. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally during the period covered (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1863 Cornwall Near St John's Lake, obtained, undated.
(J. Gatcombe, Zoologist 1863: 8768; J. H. Gurney, jun., British Birds 10: 295-296).
[J. H. Gurney, jun., Zoologist 1876: 4835; BOU, 1883; BOU, 1915; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 10: 254].
History J. Gatcombe of Plymouth (1863) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. XXI. p. 8768, dated 15th August, 1863, says: 'A short time since, when looking over the collection of Mr. Pincombe, taxidermist, of Devonport, I recognized a specimen of the Calandra Lark, which he assured me had been killed in the neighbourhood, but that he had hitherto considered it to have been a specimen of the Shore Lark (A. alpestris). Now, as the Calandra Lark is said to be common in the south of Europe, I do not see why it should not be occasionally found on our coasts. But notwithstanding this the above is, I believe, the first recorded instance of its capture in the British Isles.'
Alfred Newton (1871-74 (1): 646, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'Two examples of the Calandra Lark are recorded as having been killed in England - one near Devonport (Zool., p. 8768). Neither specimen was for some time recognized as belonging to the species, and therefore in each case the chance of a mistake seems possible. Accordingly until the occurrence of this bird in Britain has been better substantiated the Editor deems its omission from the present work the more prudent course.'
J. H. Gurney, jun. (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. p. 4835, undated, says: 'The Calandra Lark is said to have occurred once at Plymouth and once at Exeter. With regard to the latter specimen I have my doubts about it; nor is the former entirely without suspicion, though the specimen which is in my collection has not the appearance of having been a foreign skin. When I purchased it I obtained, through Mr. Gatcombe's intervention, the following certificate: - "I certify that this Calandra Lark was killed by St John's Lake, and I had it in the flesh and mounted it myself - Abraham Pincombe". It is said to have been killed by a man named Kendall, now dead. It agrees very well with specimens obtained by me in Spain and Algeria.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds due to the possibility of a mistake (BOU 1883: 72).
H. F. Witherby (1917) in British Birds, Vol. X. p. 254, says: '...it may be remarked that two examples of the Calandra Lark, said to have been obtained in Devonshire many years ago, have been previously recorded (Zool., 1863, p. 8768, 1869, p. 1599, 1876, p. 4835, see also Birds of Devon, p. 103). They were both discovered among bird-skins belonging to dealers by Mr. J. Gatcombe. One was said to have been got near Devonport and the other near Exeter, but no proof of these statements is afforded and even the date of their capture was apparently unknown. These records have, therefore, very properly never been accepted as authentic.'
J. H. Gurney, jun., of Keswick Hall, Norwich (1917) in British Birds, Vol. X. pp. 295-296, in a Letter, says: 'Sirs, - The Calandra Lark obtained near Devonport, which is referred to in the last issue (antea, pp. 254, 261) is, I submit, well entitled to some consideration. From my correspondence with the late Mr. J. Gatcombe about this bird, I am led to believe that the only doubt which that naturalist had about it was the question whether it had escaped from confinement. That it was killed by St. John's Lake, received in the flesh by Abraham Pincombe, the Plymouth bird-stuffer, and mounted at the time by him, was accepted, and a note in Pincombe's hand, now before me, which was forwarded by Mr. Gatcombe, confirms all this. The Calandra is pretty common in summer in the south of France, so its occasional presence in England is to be expected.
[As will be seen by consulting the references given in our last number, and although he "certified" that the bird was killed by St. John's Lake, and that he received it in the flesh, there is no corroborative evidence. We are strongly of opinion that such a record should not be accepted. Moreover, it is stated in The Birds of Devon, on the authority of Mr. Brooking Rowe, that "no reliance is to be placed on anything Pincombe says"! - Eds.]
Penhallurick (1978: 171) says: 'Pincombe himself thought it was a Shore Lark. The story sounds plausible enough; unfortunately the record has been discredited largely because of the statement by the Plympton naturalist J. Brooking Rowe who maintained that "no reliance is to be placed on anything Pincombe says, and that the specimen was obtained here is to be received with caution. The only thing to be said in favour of the authenticity of the specimen is its possessor's ignorance of the bird (D'Urban & Mathew 1892)".'
Comment Not admitted nationally (BOU 1971). The Devon record below probably refers to this individual. Not acceptable.
0). Pre 1863 Devon Devonport, obtained, undated.
(J. Brooking Rowe, Transactions of the Plymouth Institution 1862-63: 62-63).
[Yarrell, 1871-85; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 10: 254].
History J. Brooking Rowe (1862-63) in the Transactions of the Plymouth Institution, Vol. I. pp. 62-63, says: 'Mr. Gatcombe recently discovered in the collection of Mr. Pincombe, a bird preserver at Devonport, a bird of this species, and upon enquiry, found that it had been obtained in this neighbourhood, and was supposed by its possessor to be a specimen of the Shore Lark. This is the only specimen recorded as British.'
Alfred Newton (1871-74 (1): 646, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'Two examples of the Calandra Lark are recorded as having been killed in England - one near Exeter (Zool., s.s. p. 1599). Neither specimen was for some time recognized as belonging to the species, and therefore in each case the chance of a mistake seems possible. Accordingly until the occurrence of this bird in Britain has been better substantiated the Editor deems its omission from the present work the more prudent course.'
D'Urban & Mathew (1892: 103) say: 'Writing from Plymouth on 15th August 1863, Mr. J. Gatcombe, says: A short time since, when looking over the collection of Mr. Pincombe, taxidermist, of Devonport, I recognised a specimen of the Calandra Lark, which he assured me had been killed in the neighbourhood, but that he had hitherto considered it to have been a specimen of the Shore Lark (J.G., Zool., 1863, 8768).'
H. F. Witherby (1917) in British Birds, Vol. X. p. 254, says: '...it may be remarked that two examples of the Calandra Lark, said to have been obtained in Devonshire many years ago, have been previously recorded (Zool., 1863, p. 8768, 1869, p. 1599, 1876, p. 4835, see also Birds of Devon, p. 103). They were both discovered among bird-skins belonging to dealers by Mr. J. Gatcombe. One was said to have been got near Devonport and the other near Exeter, but no proof of these statements is afforded and even the date of their capture was apparently unknown. These records have, therefore, very properly never been accepted as authentic.'
Comment Pincombe was known to be unreliable. This record and the Cornwall one above probably refer to the same individual. Not acceptable.
0). 1869 Devon Near Exeter, killed, undated.
(J. H. Gurney, jun., Zoologist 1869: 1599).
[Yarrell, 1871-85; 892; BOU, 1915; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 10: 254].
History J. H. Gurney, jun. (1869) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. IV. p. 1599, says: 'In Newman's reprint of Montagu's Dictionary I observe the Calandra Lark is introduced into the British list for the first time, on the authority of my friend Mr. Gatcombe. It may be of interest to know that Mr. Gatcombe has seen another in the possession of Mr. Byne, which that gentleman had got from Truscott, the Exeter birdstuffer, who said it was "a Lapland Bunting", and killed near Exeter.'
Alfred Newton (1871-74 (1): 646, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'Two examples of the Calandra Lark are recorded as having been killed in England - one near Exeter (Zool., s.s. p. 1599). Neither specimen was for some time recognized as belonging to the species, and therefore in each case the chance of a mistake seems possible. Accordingly until the occurrence of this bird in Britain has been better substantiated the Editor deems its omission from the present work the more prudent course.'
J. H. Gurney, jun. (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. p. 4835, undated, says: 'The Calandra Lark is said to have occurred once at Plymouth and once at Exeter. With regard to the latter specimen I have my doubts about it.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds due to the possibility of a mistake (BOU 1883: 72).
D'Urban & Mathew (1892: 103) say: 'Writing from Plymouth on 15th August 1863, Mr. J. Gatcombe, says: - A short time since, when looking over the collection of Mr. Pincombe, taxidermist, of Devonport, I recognised a specimen of the Calandra Lark, which he assured me had been killed in the neighbourhood, but that he had hitherto considered it to have been a specimen of the Shore Lark (J.G., Zool., 1863, 8768). Commenting upon this, Mr. J. H. Gurney, Jnr. (Zool. 1869, p. 1599), adds that Mr. Gatcombe had detected another of these Larks in the possession of Mr. Byne, which that gentleman had procured from Truscott, the Exeter bird-stuffer, who said it was a Lapland Bunting, and killed near Exeter. Subsequently, in the Zoologist for 1876 (p. 4835), Mr. J. H. Gurney writes: "the Calandra Lark is said to have occurred once at Plymouth and once at Exeter. With regard to the latter specimen I have my doubts; nor is the former entirely without suspicion, though the specimen, which is in my collection, has not the appearance of having been a foreign skin. When I purchased it I obtained, through Mr. Gatcombe's intervention, the following certificate: "I certify that this Calandra Lark was killed by St John's Lake (Plymouth), and I had it in the flesh, and mounted it myself. - Abraham Pincombe." This bird is said to have been killed by a man named Kendall, now dead. It agrees very well with specimens obtained by me in Spain and Algeria". But after this, we must quote from Mr. Brooking Rowe: - "No reliance is to be placed on anything Pincombe says, and that the specimen was obtained here is to be received with caution".'
H. F. Witherby (1917) in British Birds, Vol. X. p. 254, says: '...it may be remarked that two examples of the Calandra Lark, said to have been obtained in Devonshire many years ago, have been previously recorded (Zool., 1863, p. 8768, 1869, p. 1599, 1876, p. 4835, see also Birds of Devon, p. 103). They were both discovered among bird-skins belonging to dealers by Mr. J. Gatcombe. One was said to have been got near Devonport and the other near Exeter, but no proof of these statements is afforded and even the date of their capture was apparently unknown. These records have, therefore, very properly never been accepted as authentic.'
Comment Not admitted by the BOU (1971). Not acceptable.
0). 1916 Sussex Filsham, five, seen: male, shot, 16th May; female, shot, 17th May.
(J. B. Nichols, British Birds 10: 254; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 10: 254-255; BOURC (1918), Ibis 60: 235; Walpole-Bond, 1938).
[E. M. Nicholson & I. J. Ferguson-Lees, British Birds 55: 299-384 HR].
History J. B. Nichols (1917) in British Birds, Vol. X. p. 254, says: 'Two Calandra Larks (Melanocorypha c. calandra) were shot on a rough piece of ground at Filsham Farm, St. Leonards, a male on May 16th, 1916, and a female on May 17th. There were five in a small party but the others moved on. These two were examined in the flesh by Mr. Ruskin Butterfield.'
H. F. Witherby (1917) in British Birds, Vol. X. pp. 254-255, says: 'With regard to the birds above recorded, all of which I have carefully examined since they were stuffed...the above record by Mr. Nichols must, however, we consider, be accepted as the history of the birds is clear, and although the species is a favourite cage-bird on the continent, it is extremely unlikely that two examples (or five if we accept those seen) escaped from captivity should be found together. The birds themselves have no appearance of having been in captivity. They are of the typical form. As this and the two other birds recorded here are new to the British list, I append a description or diagnosis of each, and Mr. Parkin kindly allows me to reproduce a photograph of the Semipalmated Ringed Plover which he had taken after the bird was stuffed.'
Admitted nationally in the First List Report as the first for Britain, stating that two examples were shot out of a small party of five, and they were examined by Mr. Ruskin Butterfield. The species must therefore, be transferred from the hypothetical to the regular List of British Birds (BOURC (1918) Ibis 60: 235).
Accepted locally (Walpole-Bond 1938 (1): 179-180).
Comment Hastings rarities. Not acceptable.
0). c. 1925 Fair Isle No locality, obtained, spring.
(Williamson, 1965).
[Williamson, 1965].
History P. E. Davis (Williamson 1965) under 'A List of the Birds of Fair Isle,' placing the record in square brackets, says: 'One reported to have been obtained in spring about 1925, but further details are wanting.'
0). c. 1928 Fair Isle Setter, shot, October.
(Dymond, 1991).
[BOU, 1971].
History Dymond (1991) says: 'One thought to be of this species was shot at Setter by J. A. Stout in October about 1928, but apparently the specimen was lost in transit to the Paisley Museum.'
