Red-billed Tropicbird
Phaethon aethereus Linnaeus, 1758
Photo © By Jimfbleak First uploaded to en-wikipedia at 05:02, 3 April 2005 by Jimfbleak - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=456415
STATUS
Tropical Oceans, Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally during the period covered (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1698 Lancashire & North Merseyside Coastal locality, undated.
(Leigh, 1700; J. H. Gurney, Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society 5: 659; W. R. P. Bourne, Birding World 5: 382-390).
[BOU, 1915; A. G. Knox, British Birds 87: 480-487; BOURC (1993), Ibis 135: 497].
History Leigh (1700) says: 'This specimen was driven in the same time as another bird was driven in by a violent hale-storm. It is unclear whether the supposed tropicbird was on the coast or nearby. The description is of "a bird all white (except only a short red beak) about the size of a Pigeon. The other bird was a 'Brasilian Magpye', with a clear illustration of a toucan (Ramphastidae).
A. G. Knox (1994) in British Birds, Vol. LXXXVII. pp. 480-487, found it unacceptable on the ground of "There would appear to be problems with both the identification and the associations of this record."
0). 1854 Worcestershire Cradley, near Malvern, found dead, undated, P. a. aethereus, now at Castle Museum, Norwich.
(E. Lees, Zoologist 1871: 2666; J. H. Gurney, jun., Zoologist 1871: 2725; J. H. Gurney, jun., Zoologist 1876: 4766; C. R. Bree, Zoologist 1876: 4803; W. H. Heaton, Zoologist 1876: 5086-87; J. H. Gurney, Transactions of the Norfolk & Norwich Naturalists' Society 5: 659; W. R. P. Bourne, Birding World 5: 382-390; W. R. P. Bourne, British Birds 89: 189-190).
[BOU, 1915; A. G. Knox, British Birds 87: 480-487; BOURC (1993), Ibis 135: 497].
History E. Lees (1871) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. VI. p. 2666, says: 'The late Mr. John Walcott pointed out to me a specimen of this bird in his fine collection, and stated confidently that it was picked up dead, but fresh, at Cradley, near Malvern. As it could not have been kept alive in any collection, it would appear to have been carried away in the vortex of some hurricane, and so left where it was discovered. Mr. Walcott preserved it with great care, and relied on the evidence he had that it was picked up in the flesh, although dead when found. Whether the Tropic-bird has been ever before found as a wanderer in Europe I am not aware, and the fact could scarcely be received without good evidence; but the sustained powers of flight in birds is not generally sufficiently estimated, or their migrations and wanderings need not excite much wonder.'
J. H. Gurney (1871) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. VI. p. 2725, dated 1st July 1871, says: 'May I be allowed to make a few remarks on the last part of Mr. Lees interesting Birds of the Malvern District....As Mr. Lees says he is not aware whether the tropic bird has ever before been found in Europe, I will here point out that Leigh, who wrote in 1700, included it in his Natural History of Lancashire, with a picture copied from Willughby.'
J. H. Gurney, jun. (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. p. 4766, says: 'Among the 469 species in the Introduction to Gould's Birds of Great Britain, I see no mention of the Tropic-bird. In the Zoologist for 1871 two supposed occurrences are treated of (s.s. 2666, 2725), and with regard to the former of the two my father when at Worcester obtained a few additional particulars from the curator of the Museum, who informed him that it was a Red-tailed Tropic-bird; that it was stuffed by an animal painter and bird-stuffer named Pitman (now deceased) for a gentleman whose name he could not remember, who brought it after it was mounted to the Museum, intending to present it to the collection (in a work published in 1856 it is erroneously stated to be in the Museum), but meeting Mr. Walcot there he gave it to him instead; that Mr. Walcot lent it with other stuffed birds to the Museum for exhibition, but after a time took them all back to his own house, where they remained until about thirteen or fourteen years ago, when his entire collection was sold to a gentleman at Pennoch's Court, near Worcester; that about 1867 this gentleman's birds also shared the same fate, being disposed of in lots by Mr. Matthews, auctioneer, and that the tropic-bird was one of them, but what became of it nobody now knows. There is the chance that this note may fall under the eye of some one who who may have the desired information. Phaeton aethereus has occurred at Heligoland Island (Naumania, 1851 part ii. p. 16), as kindly pointed out to me by Prof. Newton, and in Norway (Degland and Gerbe's Ornith. Europ., II. p. 363). I doubt I am not giving the original references, but it is sufficient to show that there is some plausibility for considering that it may be a genuine straggler to England. Probably, on the above authority, Dr. Bree inserts it in his list of doubtful species at the end of the Birds of Europe. Likewise Blasius and Dubois have admitted it into their respective catalogues.
The Worcestershire specimen would seem to have been P. rubricaudus, Bodd., but not the Lancashire one. If anyone knows what has become of it we may ascertain which it was. I think it is more likely to have been P. aetherius, and under that name it is given by Mr. Lees, in his interesting article on the Birds of the Malvern District (l.c.).'
C. R. Bree of Colchester (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. p. 4803, dated 7th January 1876, says: 'Mr. Gurney, jun., has misread the heading of the Supplementary Birds at the end of my "List of the Birds of Europe", which says: - "The following list comprises those birds which have been observed occasionally in Europe, but which have no real claim to a permanent position in its Avifauna". I never said or thought that the Tropicbird was a "doubtful" species". In the new edition of my work, just published, I have only one "List of European Birds".'
William H. Heaton of Reigate (1876) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. XI. pp. 5086-87, says: 'Illness and other causes have prevented my usual attention to the contents of the Zoologist for several months. I have only just observed the several notes on the Tropic-bird, and in answer to Mr. Gurney's query (s.s 4766), I am glad to be able to say that I am the present possessor of the "Worcestershire Tropic-bird". having purchased it, with about two hundred other birds, at the sale alluded to in 1867. It is certainly Phaethon aethereus, not the red-tailed species. It has been authenticated as having been picked up, in the flesh, on the farm of a Mr. Yapp, of Cradley, near Malvern. I wonder that the present curator of Worcester Museum, who knows me, has not answered this question.'
A. G. Knox (1994) in British Birds, Vol. LXXXVII. pp. 480-487, says: 'Picked up dead in the flesh in about 1854 (Lees 1871), on the farm of a Mr. Yapp, of Cradley, near Malvern (Heaton 1876). Stuffed by an animal-painter and bird-stuffer named Pitman for an unnamed gentleman. Gurney (1894) says: 'Picked up dead about forty years ago [c. 1854].' Knox further adds: 'The unnamed gentleman brought the bird to Malvern Museum, intending to present it to the Museum. There, he met Mr. Walcott, and gave it to him instead. Walcot lent the specimen to the Museum for exhibition. "After a time" Walcott took it home, where it remained until about thirteen or fourteen years ago [1862-63] (Gurney 1876). In 1862-63 it was sold from Walcott's collection to a gentleman at Pennoch's Court, near Worcester (Gurney 1876). In 1867 that gentleman's collection was sold in lots by Mr. Matthews, auctioneer (Gurney 1876), and bought by W. H. Heaton along with about 200 other birds (Heaton 1876). It was then purchased off him by J. H. Gurney (Gurney 1894). Identification was proven but the provenance of its occurrence was not acceptable.
