Eastern Meadowlark
Sturnella magna (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photo © Iain H Leach
STATUS
Americas. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). c. 1846 Gloucestershire Cheltenham, shot, undated.
(J. W. Lloyd, Field 11th Mar., 1871: 185; E. Newman, Zoologist 1871: 2557-60; Harting, 1872).
[BOU, 1883; Harting, 1901].
History E. Newman, Editor (1871) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. VI. pp. 2557-60, says: 'On the 13th February I received from that excellent naturalist Mr. J. W. Lloyd, of Kington, the description of a bird which I could not make out: after some little correspondence, he most obligingly sent it to the Field office in London, when it was immediately recognized by my friend Mr. Harting as the American Meadow Lark a bird that had only once before been obtained in the British Islands....The specimen in question was killed by a man when snipe-shooting close to the town of Cheltenham, twenty-five or more years ago: it rose from a swampy piece of ground frequented by snipe....Mr. Sclater, the learned Secretary of the Zoological Society, records, at p. 176 of The Ibis for 1861, the previous occurrence of two specimens of this bird: one at Brandeston, in Suffolk, the other at Walsham, in Norfolk.'
J. W. Lloyd of Kington, Herefordshire (1871) in The Field of 11th Mar., Vol. XXXVII. p. 185, says: 'By passenger train this evening I have sent you a box containing a small glass case, in which there is a bird which I shall be glad if you will kindly name for me. I am unable to make out what it is, and although I have sent a description of the bird to two or three well-known ornithologists, it is still a mystery. I may state that the bird was killed by a man when snipe-shooting close to the town of Cheltenham some twenty-five or more years ago. It rose from a boggy place frequented by Snipe.'
[The bird is the American Meadow Starling, Sturnella ludoviciana (Linnaeus), a well-known species in the United States and Canada, where it is called the "Meadow Lark", from its resemblance to a lark in all its actions and habits....The occurrence of this bird in England has been already noticed by Mr. P. L. Sclater, in the Ibis for 1861, p. 176, where has given an account of one which was shot at Thrandeston, in Suffolk, and another seen at Walsham, in Norfolk. Mr. Lloyd's specimen, which may be seen at 'The Field' Office, is therefore the third which has now been noticed in this country. - Ed.]
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883).
0). 1854 Norfolk South Walsham, seen, October.
(P. L. Sclater, Ibis 1861: 177; Stevenson, 1866).
[BOU, 1883; Southwell, 1890; Harting, 1901].
History P. L. Sclater, Editor (1861) in The Ibis, Vol. III. p. 177, says: 'Mr. Frere also told me that he had good grounds for supposing that this was not the only instance in which this species had been observed in England, his brother-in-law, Captain Jary, having on several occasions watched for some time a bird of similar appearance at Walsham in Norfolk in October 1854. Captain Jary, who though not a scientific ornithologist, has a very good knowledge of English birds, in answer to inquiries on the subject writes as follows: - "Having referred to Sturnella ludovicianain Audubon's plates, I am quite sure it is the bird that I saw at Walsham in the month of October 1854. I have it in my diary. I thought, when I first saw it, that it might be a Golden Oriole. The first time I observed it was in front of the house, near a plantation. I had no gun with me or could have shot it. I watched it for some time on the soft ground, but heard no note. I saw it again next day in a field among some larks; it flew away with a quick and hurried flight. Two days afterwards I saw it a third time, but I could not get a shot at it, as it flew away when I was about seventy yards off". After a subsequent examination of Mr. Frere's specimen, Captain Jary repeated his conviction of the bird observed by him having been of the same species.'
Stevenson (1866 (1): 246) repeats the exact story from above. Southwell, Editor (1890 (3): 413) in Stevenson's Birds of Norfolk, under 'Appendix D' (species discarded from the Norfolk List) says: 'Although this species undoubtedly occurred (probably as an "escape") at Thrandeston, in Suffolk, the report of its having been seen at South Walsham, is, I think, not sufficiently conclusive to entitle it to a place in this work.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883).
0). 1860 Suffolk Thrandeston, shot, March, now at Castle Museum, Norwich (Accession No. 88.21).
(P. L. Sclater, Ibis 1861: 176-180; Stevenson, 1866; Babington, 1884-86; Palmer, 2000).
[BOU, 1883; Harting, 1901].
History P. L. Sclater, Editor (1861) in The Ibis, Vol. III. pp. 176-177, says: 'A short time ago, the Rev. Henry Temple Frere, of Burston Rectory, near Diss, in Norfolk, forwarded for my inspection a specimen of the Meadow Starling of North America (Sturnella ludoviciana), stated to have been killed in this country in the course of last year. Its plumage was in fine condition, and did not show the slightest traces of the bird having been in captivity. Indeed, though living examples of this species have been brought to this country, the Meadow Starling is certainly not an ordinary cage-bird. I may mention that the aviaries of the Zoological Society of London do not at present contain a specimen of it. Being convinced, therefore, that, if the bird had really been killed in England, it might be regarded as a fresh addition to the already numerous list of "Accidental visitors" to these shores from the New World, I requested Mr. Frere kindly to ascertain all the particulars he could respecting the time and place of its occurrence. In reply, Mr. Frere informed me that the specimen in question was killed in March 1860 by Robert Baker, servant to the Rev. T. L. French. It was shot close to the railroad in a rough meadow at Thrandeston, in Suffolk. At this time it was picking about among the knots of earth, and would not allow Baker to approach within thirty yards.'
Babington (1884-86: 235) says: 'One shot in March, 1860, close to the railroad at Thrandeston, now in the collection of the Rev. H. T. Frere, of Burston....Prof. Newton considers there is every reason to suppose that all three [British occurrences] had been imported and had escaped.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883).
0). 1876 Norfolk South Walsham, shot, 13th October.
(Riviere, 1930).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History Riviere (1930: 11) says: 'At the sale of Sir V. Crewe's collection in 1926 a specimen was listed in the catalogue as "Shot at South Walsham, Norfolk, 13th October 1876, by a labourer". I learn from Mr. F. E. Gunn, the Norwich taxidermist, that this bird was sent to him as a skin by Sir Vauncey Crewe, with instructions to set it up and label it as above.'
