Siberian Crane
Grus leucogeranus Pallas, 1773
Photo © By 張怡菁 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49399778
STATUS
Eurasia. Monotypic.
OVERVIEW
Species not admitted nationally (BOU 1971).
NOT PROVEN
0). 1891 Outer Hebrides Barra, adult female, shot, 19th August.
(W. E. Clark, Scottish Naturalist 11: 145-146; Eds., Ibis 1891: 635).
[E. W. Marshall, Field 14th Nov., 1891: 758; W. E. Clarke, Annals of Scottish Natural History 1892: 71; W. E. Clarke, Ibis 1892: 181].
History Wm. Eagle Clark (1891) in the Scottish Naturalist, Vol. XI. pp. 145-146, says: 'On the 19th August last, Dr. John MacRury shot at Barra a bird, which he thought more resembled a White Stork (Ciconia alba) than any other species on the British list; though he was well aware that it differed in several important particulars. These facts he communicated to J. A. Harvie-Brown, who, in turn, informed the writer of the occurrence, and also that the bird had been sent to Mr. Bisshopp, of Oban, for preservation. Being in Oban on the 8th of September, I took the opportunity of calling upon Mr. Bisshopp, who kindly showed me the bird, which I was not a little surprised to find was a fine adult specimen of Grus leucogeneranus, Pallas - an eastern Asiatic species, new to Britain and Western Europe. The bird, Mr. Bisshopp informed me was a female, and this is also indicated by its dimensions.
Dr. MacRury first noticed the bird in the evening, resting on the sandy shore near to the mouth of the Cuir River, on the western side of the island. As soon as the Crane caught site of him, it rose at once, although he was from two to three hundred yards distant, and it was then noticed that the bird appeared to be entirely white with black tips to the wings. Its flight was slow and steady, like that of a common Heron, and it uttered now and then a plaintive whirring note. After circling about for a short time it alighted near the top of a sandy hill, among some rocks, and was stalked to within sixty or seven yards, and brought to earth with a broken wing by a successful shot from a wire B.B. cartridge. On being approached, the bird turned fiercely on its captor and showed much fight, catching hold of the muzzle of the gun with its bill. As it appeared to be otherwise uninjured, Dr. MacRury hoped it would survive the broken wing, and tried to feed it on small trout, but it seemed to be very wild, and refused all food, and only survived three days. Dr. MacRury furnishes the following useful notes on the specimen: length from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, 49 inches; expanse of wing, 84 inches; from tip of bill to end of middle toe, 60 inches; bill reddish-brown; a bare space from the base of the bill to a line behind the eyes of a red colour; irides bright yellow; legs pink; primary quills black, but none of these black features are to be seen when the bird has its wings folded, when it appears entirely white. To these particulars I am able to add the following dimensions: culmen of bill, 7 inches; tarsus, 9.5 inches; wing (straight from the carpal joint to end of longest primary), 21 inches....'
In an Editorial (1891) in The Ibis, Vol. XXXIII. p. 635, they say: 'Mr. W. Eagle Clarke writes to us to announce that he has "just examined and identified a fine female of Grus leucogeranus, Pallas, which was shot at Barra, in the Outer Hebrides, on the 27th of August last. The bird was not killed outright, but survived for a few days in the possession of Dr. MacRury. This Asiatic species is not only new to Britain and to Western Europe, but has not, I believe, occurred west of St. Petersburg, where, however, and in Eastern Europe generally, it appears to be a rare casual visitant". We hope to be able to give further particulars about this interesting occurrence in our next number.'
E. W. Marshall of Marlow (1891) in The Field of 14th Nov., Vol. LXXVIII. p. 758, says: 'Sir, - In the report of a recent meeting of the Zoological Society, which appeared in last week's Field, I see that Dr. Hamilton made allusion to the shooting of a white crane (Grus leucogeranus) in the Outer Hebrides in August last. These two birds only came into my possession last summer. They were imported by Mr. W. Jamrach, and being fully winged, were turned out with one wing "brailed" instead of being cut. The bird in question must have broken its "brail," or contrived to get it off. My man happened to be on the spot at the time it escaped, and saw it rise suddenly and fly away in a northerly direction. I think it well to mention this fact, lest your readers may imagine that this white crane is a rare visitor from Japan or Northern India, upon whose skin probably a high price would be set.'
[There were, unfortunately, one or two errors in the report referred to. It was not the bird itself, but a photograph of it, that was exhibited by Dr. Hamilton, and the name of the Hebridean island on which it was found is not Barrow, but Barra, or (according to the latest authority on the Hebrides, Mr. Harvie Brown) Barray, one of the southernmost islands of the group.
As the fact of this bird's occurrence there in a supposed wild state has been already announced in the Ibis and the Naturalist, it is hoped that subsequent numbers of these periodicals will notice the explanation now given of the appearance of an Asiatic species in the British Islands, where it is not in the least likely to occur without the aid of man, and which we believe has not been met with in Europe westward of St. Petersburg. - Ed.]
Wm. Eagle Clarke of Edinburgh (1892) in the Annals of Scottish Natural History, Vol. I, p. 71, says: 'Mr. E. W. Marshall of Marlow, Buckinghamshire, writes as follows to the Field of 14th November 1891, p. 758: - "In the report of a recent meeting of the Zoological Society, which appeared in last week's Field, I see that Dr. Hamilton made allusion to the shooting of a white crane (Grus leucogeranus) in the Outer Hebrides in August last. These two birds only came into my possession last summer. They were imported by Mr. W. Jamrach, and being fully winged, were turned out with one wing "brailed" instead of being cut. The bird in question must have broken its "brail," or contrived to get it off. My man happened to be on the spot at the time it escaped, and saw it rise suddenly and fly away in a northerly direction. I think it well to mention this fact, lest your readers may imagine that this white crane is a rare visitor from Japan or Northern India, upon whose skin probably a high price would be set". There can be no doubt, I think, that this is the bird which was shot by Dr. MacRury on the Island of Barra, as recorded by me in the Scottish Naturalist for October 1891, p. 145.'
Wm. Eagle Clarke (1892) in The Ibis, Vol. XXXIV. p. 181, says: 'I had followed up my slight note on the occurrence of Grus leucogeranus in the Outer Hebrides (Ibis, 1891, p. 635) by the full and interesting particulars relating to its capture &c. which had been kindly furnished to me by Mr. Harvie-Brown, to whom they had been communicated by Dr. John MacRury who shot the bird. Since then, however, Mr, E. W. Marshall, of Marlow, Bucks, has written to the Field (Nov. 14th, 1891, p. 758) to inform the public that there escaped from his keeping, in August last, a bird of this species, which had been ("brailed", and not pinioned in the ordinary way. This bird Mr. Marshall considers is probably identical with the one which met with its death in the far-off island of Barra, and in this opinion I entirely concur. I must therefore request you, Sir, to withdraw my communication and to insert in its stead this letter as my further contribution to the subject. The elucidation of the truth is always a matter for congratulation, and the information which has been adduced regarding the origin of this particular specimen being in all respects satisfactory, it affords me pleasure to make it known to you.'
Comment Known importee and escape. Not acceptable.
0). 1908 Upper Forth Near Stirling, adult, shot, 27th September.
(W. Evans, Field 7th May., 1910: 821).
[W. Evans, Field 25th Jun., 1910: 1112].
History W. Evans of Edinburgh (1910) in The Field of 7th May, Vol. CXV. p. 821, says: 'I recently examined a specimen in adult plumage of the Siberian White Crane (Grus leucogeranus) which had been shot near Stirling towards the end of September, 1908. Very likely it was a bird that had escaped from captivity and I send this letter with the object of ascertaining if any of your readers lost a crane of this species or know of one having made its escape about that time.'
W. Evans of Edinburgh (1910) in The Field of 25th Jun., Vol. CXV. p. 1112, says: 'With reference to my note in the Field of May 7, I have received a letter from Mr. Frank B. Atkinson, Gallowhill Hall, Morpeth, informing me that a Siberian Crane belonging to him escaped in September, 1908. No doubt it was this bird which was shot near Stirling on the 27th of that month.'
