Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Photo © By Walter Siegmund (talk) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5941742
STATUS
North and central America. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). Pre 1738 Greater London Near London, Middlesex, adult male, shot, undated.
(Albin, 1731-38; Yarrell, 1845; Yarrell, 1871-85).
[BOU, 1883; Glegg, 1935].
History Yarrell (1845 (2): 36, 2nd ed.) says: 'Wilson, the American ornithologist, quoting Edwards, refers to another specimen "shot in the neighbourhood of London many years ago; and on being opened its stomach was found to be filled with grub-worms, caterpillars and beetles".'
Alfred Newton (1876-82 (2): 223-224, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, says: 'A specimen of this common American bird, shot near London, was figured in 1738 by Albin, who says that he found in its gizzard, grubs, beetles and small maggots, adding "I believe it was a Cage-Bird, which had got loose". The plate shows it to have been an adult male.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Not accepted locally as the record was placed in square brackets (Glegg 1935: 22).
0). 1843 Norfolk Barton Broad, second-year male, shot, 2nd June.
(J. H. Gurney, Zoologist 1843: 317; Yarrell, 1845; J. H. Gurney & W. R. Fisher Zoologist 1846: 1314; J. H. Gurney, Zoologist 1865: 9024; Field 30th June 1866: 533; Stevenson, 1866; Yarrell, 1871-85).
[BOU, 1883].
History J. H. Gurney of Norwich (1843) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. I. p. 317, dated 17th August, 1843, says: 'On the 2nd of June a specimen of the Red-winged Icterus (Icterus phoeniceus, Audubon) of North America, was brought into this city in the flesh, having been shot near one of the broads or large pieces of water which are common in this county, at a distance of about twelve miles to the north-east of this place. The bird was a male, in the plumage of the second-year, and apparently approaching the period of another moult. It was in good condition, - its stomach filled with the remains of Coleopterous insects, - and its plumage free from any marks of having been kept in confinement. Should this really be a wild specimen, I believe it will be the first on record as having been captured in the British islands.'
Yarrell (1845 (2): 36, 2nd ed.) says: 'A specimen of the Red-winged Starling of America came into the possession of J. H. Gurney, Esq., in a fresh state, during June 1842; and was said to have been shot near Rollesby Broad, and to have had another of the same species in company with it. It was a male bird, in good condition and in almost adult plumage; the stomach full of the remains of beetles....Of the occurrence of this species, new to our Catalogue of British Birds, as here mentioned by the Rev. Richard Lubbock, a record appeared in The Zoologist Vol. I. p. 317, and I received an early notice from J. H. Gurney, Esq., of Norwich, who purchased this specimen, and has most kindly sent it up to London for my use in this work. The figure at the head of this subject was drawn and engraved from that bird.'
J. H. Gurney & W. R. Fisher (1846) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. IV. p. 1314, say: 'A male specimen of this bird, in the plumage of the second year, was shot near Barton Broad, about the 1st of June 1843. Its stomach contained the remains of coleopterous beetles, and its plumage had all the appearance of that of a wild bird. As, however, this species is occasionally kept as a cage bird, it is of course quite possible that the bird in question had escaped from confinement. Its occurrence is recorded in The Zoologist (Zool. p. 317). We take this opportunity of correcting a slight inaccuracy in the new edition of Mr. Yarrell's work on British Birds, in which it is stated, in a quotation from Mr. Lubbock, that the Orange-winged Starling above mentioned, was shot near Rollesby Broad.'
J. H. Gurney (1865) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. XXIII. p. 9024, dated 11th March 1864, says: 'I may add that I am interested in observing, in the same number of The Zoologist (Zool. 8951), a notice of the recent occurrence in Sussex of another American bird, the so-called "Red-winged Starling", as my collection also contains the first-recorded British-killed specimen of this bird, which was obtained several years since at Barton Turf, in Norfolk.'
Alfred Newton (1876-82 (2): 224, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, adds: '...While quite fresh this specimen, which was a male in good condition, its stomach filled with the remains of beetles, came into the possession of Mr. Gurney, who kindly allowed the preceding figure to be taken from it.'
Southwell (1879: 61, 2nd ed.) in Lubbock's Fauna of Norfolk, says: 'A specimen of the Red-winged Starling came into the possession of Mr. Gurney in a fresh state during June 1842....'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
0). 1844 Greater London Shepherds Bush, Middlesex, male, killed, autumn.
(Yarrell, 1845; Eds., Field 30th June 1866: 533; Harting, 1866; Newman, 1866; Stevenson, 1866; Harting, 1901).
[BOU, 1883; Glegg, 1935].
History Yarrell (1845 (2): 36, 2nd ed.) says: 'I have also, through the influence of F. Bond, Esq., been favoured with the loan of another example of this species which was shot among the reeds at Shepherd's Bush, a swampy situation about three miles west of London, on the Uxbridge road, where an extensive tract of land, from which brick-earth has been dug out, is overgrown with reeds. This specimen was shot in the autumn of 1844.'
Stevenson (1866 (1): 244) says: 'A second example is recorded by Yarrell to have been killed "amongst the reeds at Shepherd's Bush, a swampy situation, about three miles west of London", in the autumn of 1844.'
Harting (1866: 92) adds: 'Mr. Bond has in his collection a specimen of this bird, which was shot in the autumn of 1844, in a reed-bed at Shepherd's Bush....This bird which was a male, is described by Mr. Yarrell in his History of British Birds.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Not accepted locally as the record was placed in square brackets (Glegg 1935: 22).
0). 1863 Sussex Sidlesham, killed, 25th December.
(W. Jeffrey, jun., Zoologist 1864: 8951; Newman, 1866; Yarrell, 1871-85; Borrer, 1891).
[BOU, 1883].
History W. Jeffrey, jun., of Ratham, Chichester (1864) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. XXII. p. 8951, dated 2nd January, 1864, says: 'On the 28th of December I obtained a specimen of the Red-winged Starling , which was killed on the 25th, at Sidlesham, Sussex, by a person out Blackbird-shooting. It was found in a hedge-row, and not in company with the common starling. I believe it to have been a male, but, as it was shot in the back, I was unable to tell by dissection. The measurements were - length 8¼ inches; extent of wing, 14 inches. Wilson gives 9 in. by 14 in. for the male - perhaps this may include the beak. The plumage was black, with the exception of the red patch on the wing; some of the feathers on the back being slightly edged with brown, also a slight streak of brown behind the eye. The gizzard contained, besides small gravels, some round black seeds, which I am not botanist enough to name; they are precisely the same as some which I took from a Chaffinch a few days before. As some persons, on reading this, may doubt the genuineness of the bird, I may mention that I had it, in the flesh, off the person who shot it, and I am well acquainted with a gentleman who saw it shot. What induced it to take so long a trip as it must have done to get from America here I know not, but we have had, this autumn, some severe gales from the west and north-west, and the wind here had been westerly for a week or two before the bird was shot. It was in very good condition, and showed no signs of having been caged. I send you some of the seeds found in the gizzard, perhaps you may know what they are.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Accepted locally by Borrer (1891: 141) who erroneously gave the year as 1862, but not later by Walpole-Bond (1938 (1): 62) who believed it to be an escape.
0). 1865 Hampshire Liphook, seen, 16th May.
(W. Jesse, Zoologist 1865: 9782; W. Jesse, Zoologist 1867: 913; Yarrell, 1871-85).
[BOU, 1883].
History W. Jesse of Ingatestone (1865) in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. XXIII. p. 9782, dated 3rd August, 1865, says: 'While on a visit near Liphook, in Hampshire, I saw a specimen of this rare species on a beech tree in the shrubbery; he was not more than ten or fifteen yards from me, so I was enabled to watch him distinctly: he was of a glossy back, the shoulders of the wing being red. In his actions he strongly resembled the tits, hanging head downwards continually, apparently searching for insects. This bird was seen by me on 16th of May, 1865; the family had observed it for a fortnight previously: it has since left the neighbourhood.' The same shortened story is recorded by Mr. Jesse in The Zoologist 1867 p. 913.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
0). 1865 Kent Romney Marsh, obtained, 6th June.
(Ed., Field 1st July 1865: 14; Harting, 1872; Yarrell, 1871-85).
[BOU, 1883].
History In an Editorial (1865) in The Field of 1st Jul., Vol. XXVI. p. 15, he says: 'F.O.M., in a letter to the Times, says: "I have been informed by Mr W. Dawes, of Rye, that a specimen of this bird was shot in Romney Marsh on the 6th inst. I am aware of but very few instances in which this species has been met with in England before; but it occurs in prodigious numbers in North America, where vast and countless multitudes assemble towards evening to roost"...'
Harting (1872: 117) in a footnote, says: 'Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., informs me that he saw this specimen in the hands of a bird-stuffer at Rye, [Sussex] for preservation; it was killed at Romney, in Kent, June, 1864, or 1865.'
Alfred Newton (1876-82 (2): 224, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, adds: '...was seen by him in the hands of a birdstuffer at Rye, in June 1864 or 1865.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Comment "F.O.M." could be Francis Orpen Morris who wrote A History of the British Birds.
0). 1866 Sussex Hove, adult male, caught alive, 21st March.
(T. J. Monk, Zoologist 1866: 229; Yarrell, 1871-85).
[BOU, 1883; Borrer, 1891].
History T. J. Monk of Lewes (1866) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. I. p. 229, dated 27th March, 1866, says: 'A very handsome Red-winged Starling was caught at Hove, on Wednesday, March 21, and brought alive to Mr. G. Swaysland, the eminent bird-preserver of Queen's Road, Brighton, and by him transferred to his aviary, where I have twice had the pleasure of seeing the interesting captive. This rare bird is an adult male, in fine plumage and condition, with the beautiful red and orange colouring of the wing strongly defined. He pined and moped so much during the first two days after his capture that it was feared he would die: being treated, however, with great care and attention he revived, and has since become more reconciled to his new abode, and now cracks the canary-seed with great gusto. It is noticed by Swaysland that the bird makes a noise or "cheep" similar to that of the young of the Ringed Plover, and that he scratches with his feet like a fowl, and is very partial to a bath, in which he frequently indulges. I saw him today soon after concluding his ablutions, and had ample opportunity of seeing him to advantage: when smoothing his feathers he is certainly well worth a visit.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Not accepted locally (Borrer 1891: 141-142; Walpole-Bond (1938 (1): 62) with the latter believing it to be an escape.
Comment Another one said to have been caught (person unknown) and brought to Swaysland, who has been discredited (A. H. J. Harrop, British Birds 112: 89-98). Not acceptable.
0). 1866 North-east Scotland Hill of Boyndie, near Banff, Banffshire, immature male, shot, 12th June.
("Banffshire Journal"; T. Edward, Zoologist 1866: 310; Eds., Field 30th June 1866: 533; Yarrell, 1871-85; H. M. Drummond Hay, Scottish Naturalist 8: 363; Harvie-Brown & Buckley, 1896).
[BOU, 1883].
History Thomas Edward of Banff (1866) in The Zoologist, 2nd series, Vol. I. p. 310, dated 15th June, 1866, says: 'A fine male specimen of the above rare visitant to this country was shot, on the 12th of June, by Mr. A. Rannie, of Greenlaw, in his garden at Mill [Hill] of Boyndie, about two miles from the town of Banff. It was picking at the apple-blossom, when it drew Mr. Rannie's attention by his call of "chuck chuck".' Although the patch on the wing, a bright orange-red one, is somewhat interrupted by a few very small darker feathers, and the bird otherwise being mixed here and there with some narrow grey streaks, still it is a very pretty one.'
In an Editorial (1866) in The Field of 30th June, Vol. XXVII. p. 533, quoting from the "Banffshire Journal", he says: 'A male specimen of the Red-winged Starling (Sturnus predatorius) was shot on the 12th inst. by A. Rannie, Esq., of Greenlaw, in the garden at Boyndie. The Red-winged Starling is an American bird, and is much more numerous in many parts there than the common species is in this country. They would seem to be very rare visitants to this part of the world, for, according to the latest published History of British Birds (1853), only two are stated up to that time to have been found in Britain - one in Norfolk, in June, 1842, and the other about three miles from London, in the autumn of 1844. The bird now in question was picking at the apple blossom at the time it drew Mr. Rannie's attention by its singular call of "Chuck, chuck", peculiar to the genus. To describe the colours of this elegant-looking bird is an easy task. It is simply, all over, bill, legs, and all, of a jetty black, when fully mature, save a very bright orange red patch on the shoulders of the wings - hence its English name. The female is more or less mottled with grey, and entirely destitute of the beautiful red wing which distinguishes and is so conspicuous in the male. In size it is a little larger than our Common Starling, and the tail is longer.'
Gray (1871: 156) says: 'A specimen was shot near Banff in 1866 by H. A. Rannie, Esq. Of Greenlaw, corresponding member of the Natural History Society of Glasgow, and sent by him for exhibition to one of the Society's meetings in the same year. It appeared to be a young male.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Admitted by H. M. Drummond Hay (1885-86) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. VIII. p. 363, under 'Report of the East of Scotland Union' and accepted locally (Harvie-Brown & Buckley 1896 (2): 1).
0). 1871 Lothian Haddington, seen, undated.
(H. M. Drummond Hay, Proceedings of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies 1886: 33; H. M. Drummond Hay, Scottish Naturalist 8: 363).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History H. M. Drummond Hay (1886) in the Proceedings of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies, p. 33, says: 'One seen in Haddington in 1871 (Gray, Bds. of W. Scot., p. 156).'
Admitted by H. M. Drummond Hay (1885-86) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. VIII. p. 363, in the Report of the East of Scotland Union.
0). 1877 Yorkshire Adwick-le-Street, between Askern and Barnsley, male, picked up dead, 31st March, now at Mansfield Museum.
(S. L. Mosley, Naturalist 1876-77: 153; S. L. Mosley, Zoologist 1877: 257; Yarrell, 1871-85; Clarke & Roebuck, 1881).
[BOU, 1883].
History S. L. Mosley of Huddersfield (1877) in the new series of The Naturalist, Vol. III. p. 153, and in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. I. p. 257, says: 'On March 31st last, while on an entomological tour between Askern and Barnsley, just after leaving Adwick-le-Street and crossing the Pontefract and Doncaster turnpike-road, I saw laying among the grass on the roadside what I took to be a dead Blackbird; but on picking it up to examine it, I found it to be a fine male of the above species; it had apparently flown against the telegraph wires during the night. This rewarded me for the otherwise fruitless journey.'
[This makes the tenth recorded instance of the occurrence of the Red-winged Starling in the British Islands. For the other nine, see Hand-book of British Birds, p. 117. - Ed.]
Accepted locally (Clarke & Roebuck 1881: 34), but not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883).
0). 1879 Berkshire Eton, seen, January.
("R.O." Field 24th Sep., 1881: 457).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History "R.O." (1881) in The Field of 24th Sep., Vol. LVIII. p. 457, says: 'In January, 1879, I was skating on the floods at Eton, when I saw a bird flying over which at once struck me as being a stranger; I accordingly followed it, and saw it settle on the ground. On approaching to within 10 or 15 yards of the bird I saw that it had two bright oval pink spots on each side of the back, and about the centre. They were perhaps rather larger than a shilling, the general colour of the bird being dark greenish brown or black. The beak and legs, so far as I could make out, were black, and the only prominent relief to its otherwise sombre colour were the two pink spots above mentioned. In size it was about the size of a thrush or starling, and flew like the latter - so much so, that I at first mistook it for one. When I first saw it it was flying about 50 or 60 yards high, but afterwards it gradually flew lower, and in short flights. I noticed it in the same place (South Meadow and Brocas Meadow) for two days, after which time it disappeared. I would not have troubled you with this letter but for the hope that you or your correspondents might be able to inform me of the name of this bird, as I am rather interested in it. I have looked carefully through the collection of British birds in the British Museum, and feel quite certain that the bird is not among them; and it was not until quite lately that, in reading an old edition of Pennant, I came upon a description of a bird which seemed to exactly correspond with the one I had seen. It was there named the Rose-coloured Ouzel.'
[From the description, we should think the bird was most probably the Red-winged Starling of North America, which has several times been met with in this country. - Ed.]
Comment Probably the one later killed in Hertfordshire.
0). 1879 Hertfordshire Near Bovingdon, shot, spring.
(J. E. Littleboy, Zoologist 1881: 64; J. E. Littleboy, Transactions of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society and Field Club 1: 70).
[BOU, 1883; Sage, 1959].
History J. E. Littleboy of Hunton Bridge, Watford (1881) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. VI. p. 64, says: 'A bird of this species, now in the possession of Mr. Norman Evans, of Nash Mills, was shot in the spring of 1879 near Bovingdon. I have recorded the occurrence in some "Notes on Birds" communicated to the Transactions of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society (Dec. 1880), but as the Red-winged Starling is amongst the rarer stragglers to the British Islands it may be well to let the fact of this recent occurrence be made more widely known to ornithologists.'
J. E. Littleboy of Hunton Bridge (1882) in the Transactions of the Hertfordshire Natural History Society and Field Club, Vol. I. p. 70, says: 'A specimen of this are bird was shot last spring near Bovingdon; it is now in the possession of Mr. Norman Evans, Nash Mills. The Red-winged Starling is of American origin, and when met with in large flocks, as is frequently the case in the United States, it is said to commit serious ravages on the corn crops. It is distinguished from the Common Starling by a brown or light bronze stripe across its wings and shoulders.'
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
Comment Presumed escape. Not acceptable.
0). 1880 Northumberland Holy Island, adult male, seen, 18th May.
(Bolam, 1912).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History Bolam (1912: 178) says: '...And to state that a bird seen on Holy Island, on or about the 18th May, 1880, and described as "a Blackbird with a large patch of red on the wing", could scarcely have been anything else than another of these waifs. It was very tame, and was seen by several of the fishermen feeding on the fields near the castle.'
0). 1881 Cornwall Swanpool, Falmouth, shot, late July to early August, when shot.
("T.W." Field 20th Aug., 1881: 294; J. E. Harting, Zoologist 1881: 384).
[BOU, 1883].
History "T.W." of Woodville, Falmouth (1881) in The Field of 20th Aug., Vol. LVIII. p. 294, says: 'There has just been shot in the gorse at the edge of Swanpool, near Falmouth, a specimen of the American Red-winged Starling. For nearly a fortnight it had been seen at or near the spot where it was killed, and many endeavours were made to bring it to bag, but without success, until last week, when Mr. W. Gill, taxidermist of this town, was fortunate enough to shoot it, and has it now well set up. I am told a specimen of the Red-winged Starling has never before been killed in Cornwall.'
[In the latest work on Cornish birds, viz., Rodd's Birds of Cornwall, "the Red-winged Starling is not included". This straggler from America has, however, been met with some ten or a dozen instances in other parts of England and Scotland. - Ed.]
J. E. Harting, Editor (1881) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. V. p. 384, says: 'I am informed that early in the present month of August a specimen of the Red-winged Starling was shot at Swanpool, near Falmouth, by Mr. Gill, taxidermist, of that town. My informant states that the bird had been observed in the neighbourhood for nearly a fortnight before it was secured, and that several ineffectual attempts were previously made to shoot it. This appears to be the first time the occurrence of this species has been noted in Cornwall, although it has been met with in several instances in various other counties of England and Scotland. How pleased our lamented friend the late E. R. Rodd would have been at this interesting addition to the avifauna of his county"!
Not admitted nationally in their first List of British Birds (BOU 1883: 64).
0). 1882 Suffolk Hadleigh, two, 17th May.
(Babington, 1884-86).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History Babington (1884-86: 235) in a footnote, says: 'Seen at Hadleigh, by several boys in May 1882. Mr. F. Spalding writes to me as follows, in a letter dated Hadleigh June 21, 1882: - "On Wednesday, May 17th, my boy Edmund of 13 years saw a pair of what he called "Starlings with red on the wings close by the back", not red bodies, but only on the wing coverts. They flew over his head and down to a low meadow (to join Starlings, Rooks, and Jackdaws), so that as they flew beyond he distinctly saw their partly red wings. Would these be the American Red-winged Starling? I have tried to get a sight of them since, but without success, but a boy named Grimsey saw one sitting on a hurdle in a meadow close by my house, and described it as a Blackbird, with red on the wings, and another boy named Jackson saw one by our old farmyard near the Hall. Perhaps this is worth your notice for your Rare Birds of Suffolk". There is no reasonable doubt that the birds were the Red-winged Starling, a common North American species, but the specimens which have been obtained in Britain labour under the suspicion of being escaped birds.'
Comment Probable escapes.
0). 1885 Norfolk Salthouse, obtained, spring.
(Pashley, 1925; Riviere, 1930).
[Not in BOU, 1971].
History Pashley (1925) says: 'I received one from Salthouse in the spring of 1885.'
Comment Preserved by H. N. Pashley, Cley, Norfolk.
0). 1886 Perth & Kinross Rannoch, Perthshire, female, shot, 10th May.
(R. Menzies, Scottish Naturalist 1886: 307; H. M. Drummond Hay, Proceedings of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies 1886: 33; H. M. Drummond Hay, Scottish Naturalist 8: 363; H. M. Drummond Hay, Scottish Naturalist 9: 347).
[Harvie-Brown, 1906; W. B. Alexander & R. S. R. Fitter, British Birds 48: 12].
History H. M. Drummond Hay (1886) in the Proceedings of the East of Scotland Union of Naturalists' Societies, p. 33, says: 'A female of this species was shot in Rannoch, Perthshire, 10th May, 1886 and was forwarded to me in the flesh by Sir Robert Menzies, Bart (Scot. Nat. July 1886, p. 307). This is, however, not the first notice of this bird in Scotland, as two other instances are recorded - a young male shot near Banff in 1856 [1866], and one seen in Haddington in 1871 (Gray, Bds. W. of Scot., p. 156).'
H. M. Drummond Hay (1885-86) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. VIII. p. 363, in the Report of the East of Scotland Union, admits this record. H. M. Drummond Hay (1888-89) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. IX. p. 347, in Additions to the Report of the East of Scotland Union, says: 'From a letter received from his Grace the Duke of Argyle it would appear that the bird shot at Rannoch, was, in all probability, one out of several of this species, males and females, liberated by his Grace at Inverary Castle, about three weeks previous to the date of its capture; it cannot therefore be considered as properly belonging to the District.'
Not accepted locally as the record was placed in square brackets due to the Duke of Argyll having released some three weeks earlier (Harvie-Brown, 1906).
Comment Probable escape. See below. Not acceptable.
0). 1886 East Glamorgan Nash Lighthouse, male, caught, 27th October.
(D. S. W. Nicholl, Zoologist 1889: 169; D'Urban & Mathew, 1892).
[Harvie-Brown, 1906; Not in British Birds 48: 12].
History D. S. W. Nicholl of Cowbridge (1889) in The Zoologist, 3rd series, Vol. XIII. p. 169, says: 'Mr. Howard Saunders, writing to me about a specimen of the Red-winged Starling which was killed by flying against the Nash Light, says: "No doubt it was an escaped bird from some Bristol-bound vessel", and this may have been the case with the last named.'
0). 1887 Dumfries & Galloway Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire, Dumfriesshire, found dead, winter.
(R. Service, Transactions of the Dumfries Natural History & Antiquarian Society 1905: 433-434; Gladstone, 1910).
[Harvie Brown & Buckley, 1892; Harvie-Brown, 1906].
History R. Service (1905) in the Transactions of the Dumfries Natural History & Antiquarian Society, ser. ii. Vol. XVII. pp. 433-434, says: 'Of the Red-winged Starling we have only one occurrence, recorded in Sanquhar. No doubt it came from Inveraray, where, after the Marquis of Lome's return from the Governor-Generalship of Canada, the introduction of 200 of the Red-winged Starling was a failure. They remained during the summer, and totally disappeared in the autumn when the migration fever set in.'
Gladstone (1910: 105) says: 'Regarding the occurrence of the American Red-winged Starling at Kirkconnel in the winter of 1887 (Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc., April 20th, 1905), Dr. Anstruther Davidson writes me that the bird was seen by him, and was brought to his notice by Mr. J. Harkness, in whose yard it was found. "It was in a condition to preserve, and I have nothing but the record that it was found in the winter of 1887". This bird was probably one of a small consignment from America, turned down at Inverary in October, 1886 by the Dule of Argyll. Thriving well through the winter, they were kept in confinement till May, 1887, when seven couple were liberated. They were seen for a few weeks in the vicinity, but then disappeared, and subsequently "one or two were reported as having been seen and shot in different parts of Scotland" (Fauna of Argyll, 1892, pp, 80, 81).'
Comment The Duke of Argyll had a small consignment imported from America three years ago, which is in a letter written to Harvie Brown on 5th September, 1889, and is held at the National Museums of Scotland. Seven couples were released into the wild in May in an attempt to naturalise them, but after a few weeks they dispersed and were never seen again apart from in other areas. Introduced. Not acceptable.
