Meadow Bunting
Emberiza cioides Brandt, JF, 1843
Photo © By Greg Peterson - Imported from 500px (archived version) by the Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71469869
STATUS
Eurasia. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1886 Yorkshire Flamborough, male, caught alive, November, now at Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery (Acc. No. 1924Z18.4602).
(Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1889: 6; W. E. Clarke, Naturalist 15: 79; W. E. Clarke, Naturalist 15: 113; W. E. Clarke, Naturalist, 1889: 334; W. E. Clarke, Naturalist, 1889: 356; Field 19th Jan., 1889: 93; H. B. Tristram, Ibis 1889: 293-294, 296; H. Seebohm, Ibis 1889: 295-296; H. Saunders, British Birds 1: 13; Nelson, 1907; Witherby et al., 1938-52; Mather, 1986; Watson, 2010).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History Anon. (1889) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 6, at a meeting held on 15th January 1889, says 'Canon Tristram read an account from Mr. Chase of Birmingham of a male specimen of Emberiza cioides, Brandt, in his collection, stated to have been captured at Flamborough in October 1887. He also exhibited from his own collection a series of specimens of this Bunting obtained in seven different months of the year in Siberia and China, and showed that Mr. Chase's specimen corresponded exactly with one obtained in October. The occurrence of this bird in our island was extremely interesting, as it was its first recorded occurrence in Europe or even in Western Asia, its range apparently being limited to Eastern and Central Siberia and China. It had not been recorded from Japan, Temminck having erroneously identified with it the Japanese species Emberiza ciopsis, Brandt.'
Wm. Eagle Clarke of Edinburgh (1889) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. XV. p. 79, says: 'At the meeting of the Zoological Society of London held on the 15th January last, the Rev. Canon Tristram, F.R.S., made some remarks on a specimen of Emberiza cioides Brandt, which was ''believed' to have been obtained at Flamborough in October 1887. This is a most interesting scrap of news for ornithologists, and it is much to be hoped that full particulars concerning the occurrence of this feathered stranger to Europe may be forthcoming. E. cioides appears to be a rare bird in collections, and even the British Museum can only boast of a few specimens. It is an inhabitant of Siberia and Mongolia; so that, as a visitor to Europe and to our own shores, it cannot be regarded as a much greater waif from its accustomed habitat than Turdus varius, T. atrogularis, Phylloscopus superciliosus, Syrrhaptes paradoxus, Bernicla ruficollis, or a few other casuals of Eastern Palearctic origin which every now and then unaccountably elect to wander 'westward ho,' even unto Britain.'
Wm. E. Clarke (1889) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. XV. p. 113, says: 'It affords me much gratification to be able, through the kindness of Mr. R. W. Chase, in whose fine collection the bird now is, to give the desired - and it may be added most satisfactory - particulars concerning the occurrence of this new European species in Yorkshire. Mr. Chase writes me thus: - "In June last, when visiting Bempton Cliffs, I called upon Mr. Matthew Bailey at Flamborough, and from amongst his birds I selected two - the one a pied sparrow, the other a bird not known to me as British I rather thought it a variety of Emberiza schoeniculus), but which Mr. Bailey assured me he had stuffed from the flesh, and that it had been obtained near Flamborough Head. Later on he confirmed this statement by letter, giving the date as November 1886, saying it was obtained by a fisherman on the beach south of the Headland. I sent the bird to Durham, and Canon Tristram identified it as of this species. He communicated the occurrence, with the foregoing facts, at a meeting of the Zoological Society, 15th January 1889, and at the request of Dr. Sclater, it has been sent to the Society again. Professor Newton also saw the bird.'
Wm. E. Clarke (1889) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. XV. p. 334, says: 'In the Appendix to his Manual of British Birds, just issued, we note, under the head of Brandt's Siberian Bunting (p. 733), that Mr. Saunders follows Canon Tristram (P. Z. S., 1889, p. 293) as his authority for the date of the occurrence of this bird at Flamborough. We, too, following the same authority, quoted October 1887 in our preliminary notice of this species in the Naturalist (1889, p. 79); but Mr. Chase, on seeing our note, made an important communication, in which he not only furnished our readers with the most complete account of the occurrence that has yet appeared, but, on the authority of Mr. Mathew Bailey, who received the bird in the flesh (and from whom Mr. Chase obtained it), fixed the date as November 1886 (Naturalist 1889, p. 113). Recognising the source and nature of this communication, we think it is not too much to claim for its due consideration, even if it is denied the official status we have attach to it. Under these circumstances we read, with some surprise, Mr. Saunders concluding sentence: "As a mere detail, it may be mentioned that in the Naturalist for 1889 (p. 113) the date of capture is given as November 1886". This note is published in the hope that Mr. Bailey, who alone can afford the information, will remove the doubt which appears to rest upon the date of occurrence of the latest addition to the British, and, it is believed, European avifauna.'
Wm. E. Clarke (1889) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. XV. p. 356, says: 'From the information furnished me by Mr. R. W. Chase and Mr. Mathew Bailey it would seem to be quite inexplicable as to how the date October 1887 ever came to be quoted for the occurrence of this bird. Mr. Chase tells me that he sent Mr. Bailey's original letter - which I have had the advantage of perusing, and wherein the date is stated to be November 1886 - to Canon Tristram, and this makes the confusion that has arisen the more surprising. Mr. Mathew Bailey has kindly furnished the much desired information respecting the true date of this rare bird's occurrence at Flamborough. He say: - "All I can say respecting the date for the rare Bunting is that October 1887, is a mistake; November 1886, is the correct date. It was caught alive on the beach, at the foot of the cliffs south of the headland, near to the Flamborough Head Light House, by William Gibbon, fisherman, of Flamborough. I bought it at the same time, and, thinking it something very rare, I preserved it. When caught, a gale of wind was blowing from the east".'
H. B. Tristram (1889) in The Ibis, Vol. XXXI. p. 293, says: 'Attention has lately been drawn to the Eastern Palearctic Bunting, Emberiza cioides, Brandt, Bull. Acad. Sci. St., Pt. I. p. 363 (1843), by the fact that our Member, Mr. R. W. Chase, of Birmingham, has lately obtained at Flamborough a specimen of this species. This specimen is stated to have been taken there in October 1887, and to have been mounted from the flesh by Matthew Bailey, who did not know the bird, and was quite ignorant of the interest attaching to it. The species has considerable seasonal variation, arid this specimen agrees exactly with one in my own collection obtained near Lake Baikal in the month of October. So far, therefore, the evidence of its occurrence at Flamborough seems satisfactory. But it is curious that the bird has never been met with before in Europe, not even in that resort of unwonted stragglers, Heligoland, nor even in Western Siberia....'
H. Seebohm (1889) in The Ibis, Vol. XXXI. p. 296, adds: '...The specimen is in autumn plumage and is a male, but from the small extent of the chestnut on the breast evidently not a very old one. The wing and tail measure each exactly 3 inches; there is no black spot on the chin, and the amount of white on the outside of tail-feathers is so nearly intermediate between the two extremes that it would pass for either of them. On the whole, however, the specimen approaches rather nearer to Emberiza cioides castaneiceps than to the typical form.'
Accepted locally (Nelson 1907 (1): 207) but, Chislett (1952: 58-59) who adds: '...M. Bailey was in the habit of publishing his records of unusual birds, but did not publish this one until twelve months had transpired. When R. W. Chase went into Bailey's shop at Bridlington, he asked, "What's that?" Bailey replied, "I don't know". The bird was said to have been caught during a gale, but there was no gale meteorologically recorded for the time when the bird was stated to be taken (November, 1886). With an element of doubt existing I have thought it best to square bracket the species.'
Watson (2010) in detailing the R. W. Chase collection in the Birmingham Museum lists this specimen and quoting from his Notebooks adds that it was caught by William Gibbon, a fisherman, at the foot of Flamborough cliffs, November 1886, and mounted from the flesh by Matthew Bailey. The bird came into my possession in the following manner: I was staying with a friend at the Alexandra Hotel, Bridlington and walked to Flamborough to interview Mr. Bailey, the taxidermist and among other birds found the above, not recognising the species, sent the bird to Canon Tristram for verification. Afterwards not liking the position, had the specimen restuffed by J. Cullingford. See also Dresser's Birds of Europe Supplement, Vol. IX. p. 223-227.
Comment High risk of fraud. Not acceptable.
