Pied-billed Grebe
Podilymbus podiceps (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photo © Iain H Leach
STATUS
Nearctic and Latin America. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
The claimed date of occurrence (winter) was found to be wrong for the age of the bird. Probably imported.
Species not admitted nationally during the period covered (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1881 Dorset Radipole Lake, immature, obtained, January.
(Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1881: 734; J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1881: 334-335; Smart, 1886; Prendergast & Boys, 1983).
[J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1881: 334; Yarrell, 1871-85; Mansel-Pleydell, 1888; BOU, 1915; R. J. Prytherch, British Birds 58: 308-309; BOU, 1971].
History Anon. (1881) in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, p. 734, at a meeting held on 21st June 1881, says: 'Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of Podilymbus podiceps of North America, stated to have been killed at Radipole near Weymouth in January 1881, and belonging to the collection of Mr. R. W. Monro.'
J. E. Harting, Editor (1881) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. V. pp. 334-335, says: 'At a meeting of the Zoological Society on the 21st June last, Mr. R. B. Sharpe exhibited a specimen of Podilymbus podiceps stated to have been killed at Radipole, near Weymouth, in the winter of 1880-81. Such an occurrence is highly improbable, not only from what is known of the habits of this bird, - which, although common in North, Central, and some parts of South America, has never, so far as I am aware, been met with in Europe, - but also because the appearance of the specimen exhibited seemed to preclude the possibility of its having reached this country otherwise than in a preserved state. It is a young bird, with traces of the longitudinal dark stripes on the neck, which are observable in the young of all the Grebes. The bird-stuffer from whom Mr. Sharpe received it must have made some mistake in supposing it was killed near Weymouth, perhaps confounding it with the young of one of our British Grebes in a similar state of plumage which may have been sent to him from that neighbourhood. It is desirable that this should be noted, lest hereafter, in consequence of the published report of the exhibition of the specimen in question, there may be supposed to be grounds (which, in my opinion, do not exist) for regarding this species as an accidental wanderer to Europe.'
Howard Saunders (1884-85 (4): 142, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'An example of the Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), stated to have been shot near Weymouth in January, 1881, was exhibited by Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe at a meeting of the Zoological Society (P. Z. S., 1881, p. 734); but there seems to be the possibility of an accidental exchange of specimens having taken place at the bird-stuffer's, and at all events there is no other record of the occurrence of this American species in Europe.'
Mansel-Pleydell (1888: 124, 2nd ed.) placing the species in square-brackets, says: 'At a meeting of the Zoological Society in June 1881, an immature specimen of this American bird was exhibited by Mr. E. B. Sharpe (P. Z. S., 1881, p. 734) as having occurred the previous winter at Radipole, near Weymouth; but for reasons stated (Zoologist, 1881, p. 334) this is extremely doubtful. The species is common in North, Central, and South America, but has not been found in Europe. Moreover, the immature appearance of the specimen in question seemed to preclude the possibility of its having reached this country otherwise than in a preserved state.'
Smart (1886: 79) says: 'The three authorities [BOU, Saunders and Seebohm] simply record the fact that the specimen was exhibited at the P. Z. S., 1881, by Mr. R. B. Sharpe, as having been shot in the previous winter at Radipole, near Weymouth: the authorities lay stress on the fact that it has not occurred elsewhere in Europe.'
Robin J. Prytherch (1965) in British Birds, Vol. LVIII. pp. 308-309, says: 'Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe, F.Z.S., exhibited a specimen of Pied-billed Grebe on the 21st June 1881 at the Zoological Society of London, stating it to have been killed at Radipole, Weymouth, in January 1881, and in the possession of Mr. R. W. Munro.' However, J. E. Harting (Zoologist 1881: 334) says: '...that it was so young as to be showing the longitudinal dark stripes on the neck, which all grebes show, and presumably therefore didn't meet with the date claimed.'
