Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum Vieillot, 1808
Photo © Kris Webb
STATUS
North America and Latin America. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally during the period covered (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1841 Fife Cambo, shot, no date.
(Gray, 1871).
[Gurney, 1876; Not in BOU, 1971].
History Gray (1871: 109) says: 'While this note was passing through the press, I have, by a singular coincidence, been informed by Captain H. W. Feilden, of the 4th King's Own Royal Regiment, that his father, Sir William Feilden of Feniscowles, had in his collection a specimen of this bird which was shot at Cambo, in Fifeshire, in 1841. Sir William, in a recent letter, describes the bird as having been "like a waxwinged chatterer, only less than half the size"; and Captain Feilden, in accounting for its appearance in the east of Scotland, suggests that it may have come to this country via Greenland, Iceland, the Faroes, and Heligoland, and not by ship, or it would probably have been shot in Ireland or the west coast of Scotland.'
Gurney (1876: 276) says: 'Certainly the Cedarbird has no claim to be admitted...into a British list. A third, shot in Fifeshire in 1841, in the late Sir William Feilden's collection. Gray, B. of West Scotland, p. 109.'
0). Pre 1850 Cambridgeshire No locality, no date.
(A. Newton, Zoologist 1851: 3277).
[A. Newton, Zoologist 1852: 3506-07].
History A. Newton (1851) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. IX. p. 3277, dated 4th September 1851, says: 'I am told that Mr. Batson, of Horseheath, near Linton, Cambridgeshire, has in his possession a specimen of the Cedar-bird of North America, which was killed in this country. The particulars of the time and place of capture of this bird, I will endeavour to obtain as soon as possible, and I should be much obliged to any one who will send me any further information on the subject, as I believe this is the first recorded instance of the occurrence of this species, not only in Great Britain, but in Europe.'
Alfred Newton (1852) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. X. pp. 3506-07, says: 'I should apologize to the readers of the Zoologist for the length of time I have kept them in suspense with regard to the particulars of the occurrence of the Cedar-bird of America in this country, which I announced in September last, (Zool. 3277), and I must express my regret that the excuse which I now offer for having so long delayed the fulfilment of the promise I then made, is of a very unsatisfactory nature. It is, that the bird I then alluded to is not now in the possession of Mr. Batson, and I have been quite unable to obtain any further clue to it, and therefore cannot say whether my information was correct or not.'
0). 1850 Cleveland/Co. Durham Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, two, killed, no date.
(A. Newton, Zoologist 1852: 3506-07).
[Gurney, 1876; BOU, 1883; BOU, 1915; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 11].
History Alfred Newton (1852) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. X. pp. 3506-07, says: '...I have, however, the pleasure, through the kindness of Mr. F. Bond and Mr. H. T. Allis, of making known the occurrence of two specimens of this bird in the north of England; and I cannot do so better than by letting the latter gentleman tell the story in his own way, in a letter to Mr. Bond, of which the following is a copy: - My dear Sir, "On Friday last I called on Mr. Heaviside, of Great Ayton, to inquire about the American waxwing. He informs me that the two that he stuffed were shot at Stockton-on-Tees, both in the same locality, but on following days, he cannot give me the exact date, but it was in the early part of 1850. They were feeding on haws at the back of Lady Barker's house; several specimens of Bombycilla garrula were obtained in the same district (within a few miles), but the two species were not observed in company. I saw the birds after they were stuffed, at the house of Mr. H." Yours most truly, Thomas H. Alliss. "I hear from Mr. Bond that Mr. Heaviside, shortly after Mr. Alliss saw the birds, sold them to a gentleman whose name I have been unable to learn, and I have no further information to give on the subject, as Mr. Heaviside has not replied to a letter which I wrote to him, making additional inquiries respecting the fate of the specimens; possibly he is unacquainted with the purchaser of them".'
Gurney (1876: 276) says: 'Certainly the Cedarbird has no claim to be admitted...into a British list. I asked Mr. Heaviside, one of the birdstuffers at Stockton, about the examples recorded at page 3506 of the Zoologist, and he remembered nothing about them.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 40).
W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter (1955) in British Birds, Vol. XLVIII. p. 11, say: 'Two were reported by Newton as having been taken at Stockton-on-Tees, Co. Durham, early in 1850, but he later withdrew the record.'
