White-throated Needletail
Hirundapus caudacutus (Latham, 1801) (2, 8)
Photo © By Masami Kuroda - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59021670
STATUS
Central and Eastern Palearctic. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Formerly known as Needle-tailed Swift.
Late May and anytime in June is the arrival time here of this aerial torpedo from the far east.
RECORDS
1). 1846 Essex Great Horkesley, 6th to 8th July when shot, now at Chelmsford Museum (Acc. No. D7003).
(E. Newman, Zoologist 1846: 1492-1496; E. Newman, Zoologist 1863: 8329; Newman, 1866; J. E. Harting, Field 21st Oct., 1871: 340; BOU, 1883; D. Seth-Smith, Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club 39: 90; Witherby, 1920-24; H. F. Witherby, British Birds 22: 46-47; Glegg, 1929; Hudson & Pyman, 1968; Cox, 1984; Wood, 2007).
2). 1879 Hampshire Near Ringwood, shot, 26th or 27th July.
(Anon., Proceedings of the Zoological Society 1880: 1-2; G. B. Corbin, Zoologist 1880: 81-85; Eds., Field 10th Jan., 1880: 78; BOU, 1883; Kelsall & Munn, 1905; Witherby, 1920-24).
3). 1983 Orkney South Ronaldsay, 11th to 12th June.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 77: 539; E. R. Meek, Scottish Bird Report 1984: 50; J. Muir, Orkney Bird Report 1984: 63; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 610).
4). 1984 Shetland Hillwell/Quendale area, Mainland, 25th May to 6th June, photo.
(British Birds 77: plates 158-159; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 78: 562, plates 270-273; A. Hogg, Scottish Bird Report 1984: 35; Birding World 6 (4): 152, photo; Shetland Bird Report 1991: photo; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007: photo).
5). 1985 Yorkshire Fairburn Ings, 27th May.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 79: 559).
6). 1988 Orkney Hoy, 28th May to 8th June, photo.
(Birding World 1 (6): 186, photo; R. Millington, Birding World 1 (6): 200-202, photos; British Birds 81: plates 263-264; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 82: 534; Forrester & Andrews et al., 2007: photo; British Birds 102: plate 266).
7.0). 1991 Kent Wierton Hill Reservoir, Maidstone, 26th May, photo; also in Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Shetland.
(Birding World 4 (5): 153, photos; British Birds 84: plate 305; M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 85: 532; D. W. Taylor, Kent Bird Report 1991: 92, plate 1).
7.1). 1991 Staffordshire Blithfield Reservoir, 1st June; presumed same as Kent.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 85: 533).
7.2). 1991 Derbyshire Near Belper, 3rd June; presumed same as Kent.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 89: 509; S. Thorpe, Derbyshire Bird Report 1995: 119-121).
7.3). 1991 Shetland Noup of Noss, Noss, 11th and 14th June; presumed same as Kent.
(M. J. Rogers and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 85: 532).
8). 2013 Outer Hebrides Loch Direcleit, Tarbert and Loch Drinisadair, Harris, first-summer male, 24th to 26th June, later found dead, photo, now at National Museums Scotland.
(British Birds 106: plates 262, 300 & 301; A. Gretton, Scottish Birds 33: 267-272, plates 225-234; N. A. J. Hudson and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 107: 610, plate 301; British Birds 112: plate 302).
9). 2017 Outer Hebrides Glen, Barra, 2CY+, 22nd June, photo.
(B. Taylor, Scottish Birds 37: 366-368, plates 312 & 313 a-d; C. Holt and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 111: 587, plate 379).
10). 2022 At sea Sea area Fair Isle, picked up, on board MV Ortelius 120 km E of Duncansby Head, Caithness, 4th June, photo, later released, photo.
(L. Bacon, P. French and the Rarities Committee, British Birds 117: 680).
