Alan Harris Cedar in Shetland: new to the Western Palearctic Clive R. McKay

ABSTRACT On 25th June 1985, a Bombycilla cedrorum was found on a bare headland on Noss, Shetland, Scotland.Although it was dismissed at first as an escaped cage-, subsequent occurrences of the species in England and in Iceland supported the suggestion that it should be regarded as the first occurrence of this Nearctic species in the Western Palearctic.

n the summer of 1985, I was employed as to the tail, and even the red tips to some of the Nature Conservancy Council’s the wing . The date indicated that IWarden on Noss National Nature Reserve, there was little likelihood of its being a wild an island east of Bressay, Shetland, Scotland. B. garrulus, and I On the afternoon of 25th June, two visitors, suggested that it might be an escaped cage- Mr and Mrs P.Leward, returned to the Visitor bird. Centre after walking around the island, and I immediately searched the north coast of informed me that they had seen a waxwing the island, and found the bird feeding Bombycilla. They had obtained good views amongst Thrift Armeria maritima on the of the bird, and it was obvious from their top of a sheltered rocky headland. It was verbal description that it was indeed a obviously not a Bohemian Waxwing, having waxwing: they described the bird’s general no white on the primaries, and possessing brown coloration,prominent crest,yellow tip pale sulphur-yellow underparts. Dredging up

580 British 93: 580-587, December 2000 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland my scant knowledge of American birds, I also similar to starling. General structure like suspected that it was a Cedar Waxwing that of a short-legged Redwing Turdus B. cedrorum, and I proceeded to take a field iliacus. When relaxed, short-necked and description. After watching it during 16.30- hunched, with wings held stiffly along sides 17.30 GMT, I hurriedly left the island to tele- and the wing-tips drooping below level of phone to the local birders. Unfortunately, tail, exposing the rump.When active, posture none was at home, but I was not too worried sleek and elegant, with wings held close to by this, since I assumed then that the bird the rump/tail. Hopped around boldly on was an escape from captivity. ground, with little elegance, and generally I also, however, telephoned a friend in preferred to remain stationary between fly- Sheffield, Keith Clarkson, who had spent catching sallies or lunges. Fed actively, taking some time on a small island off Newfound- food (thought to be mostly flies) either from land in the summer of 1982, studying Brün- the ground, from plant stalks and flower- nich’s Guillemots Uria lomvia. He told me heads (picked off delicately), or in flight. Fly- that the Cedar Waxwing is migratory, and catching sallies from ground only, not from that he had seen small flocks on the island in wall or other perches. Regularly sat on top of June, well away from their normal habitat.At a broken-down dry-stone dyke (see plates home, I flicked through The Shell Guide to 354 & 355) when or after being the Birds of Britain and Ireland (Ferguson- flushed. Often mobbed by the local resident Lees et al. 1973), and was surprised to find Rock Pipits Anthus petrosus, and attracted that, at that time, several species of Nearctic attention of Twites Carduelis flavirostris, but vagrant had occurred in Britain not mobbed by them. Ignored by Common either occasionally or exclusively in June Starlings, and never seen to associate with (e.g. Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus,Cape any other species. May Warbler Dendroica tigrina, Rufous- In very good condition, truly sided (now known as Eastern) Towhee immaculate,typical waxwing ‘-perfect’ Pipilo erythrophthalmus, Fox Sparrow appearance.The black mask and bib gave the Passerella iliaca, White-crowned Sparrow bird a very bold appearance,whilst the rest of Zonotrichia leucophrys and White-throated the plumage was characterised by the very Sparrow Z. albicollis). I began to consider subtle way that one colour merged into the possibility that this Cedar Waxwing another, enhancing the bird’s beauty. might be a genuine vagrant. Fortunately, it HEAD Typical waxwing head pattern, with a was still present on 26th, and, together with distinctive crest, usually held drooped and Susan Crosthwaite, I watched it during closed over the back of the head, but raised 08.30-10.30. I paid particular attention to the slightly from time to time (see plate 353). condition of the bird’s plumage and to its Facial pattern particularly beautiful when feeding behaviour. It bore no colour rings or seen head-on. Black mask from lores marks of any kind, nor did it show any extending through eye and upwards behind obvious plumage aberrations that might have eye towards back of head.Anterior two-thirds suggested a captive origin. I was able to of mask bordered above and below by a thin obtain some photographs of it (plates 353- cream-coloured line, this line a little thicker 356).We made no attempt to catch the bird, where it formed a short creamy moustachial as I had been able to make satisfactory obser- stripe. Short black bib merging imperceptibly vations of it in the field. It could not be into pale bronze of breast (a female found on 27th. characteristic?). Rest of head a rich metallic bronze. Description UPPERPARTS Nape and mantle dull bronze, The following details were supplied to the merging imperceptibly into lead-grey rump British Birds Rarities Committee. and uppertail-coverts. Lesser and median STRUCTURE AND BEHAVIOUR Wary when coverts dull bronze. Greater coverts and approached, but afforded good views when primary coverts brown-grey, six or seven of stalked carefully. Size similar to Common the former with red waxy tips. Tertials grey- Starling Sturnus vulgaris, but smaller. Flight brown, fringed with creamy-white on their

British Birds 93: 580-587, December 2000 581 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland Clive R.Clive McKay Clive R.Clive McKay Clive R.Clive McKay Clive R.Clive McKay

353-356. Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum, Noss, Shetland, 26th June 1985.

582 British Birds 93: 580-587, December 2000 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland inner margins. Primaries dark brown-black Comments with blue-grey leading edges to basal half of The wind had been east or southeast at Noss feathers, forming a narrow panel on leading since 20th June, swinging around to SSW on edge of wing (see plates). Basal half of tail the afternoon of 25th, clearing away the fog lead-grey, distal third-quarter black, distal that had persisted for several days.The wind quarter yellow. backed to southeasterly again on 26th, when UNDERPARTS Black bib merging clear weather provided excellent conditions imperceptibly into pale bronze breast and for observations. chest. This in turn merging imperceptibly The bird showed no obvious behavioural with pale sulphur-yellow on belly. Vent traits or plumage characteristics to suggest and undertail-coverts creamy-white. Tibial that it was of captive origin. On the day on feathering white. which it arrived, there was also a small influx BARE PARTS Bill clean and gun-metal blue- of three or four Common Crossbills Loxia black. Legs short (much shorter than those of curvirostra to Noss. or Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, for example), clean and black. Reference Ferguson-Lees, J., Willis, I., & Sharrock, J. T. R. 1983. Eye appeared to be all black, and difficult to The Shell Guide to the Birds of Britain and see against the black facial mask. Ireland. London. CALL A thin, feeble ‘Schreet’, heard twice immediately after the bird took flight.

Dr Clive R. McKay, Tigh an Arish, Bridgend, Islay PA44 7PP

EDITORIAL COMMENT by going out to look for one. That much- The identification of this Noss bird was twitched bird (fig. 1 and plates 357-359; see accepted with no difficulty (see Prof. Colin also Brit. Birds 89: plates 176 & 177) stayed Bradshaw’s comments, below), but its prove- for almost a month, and was seen by huge nance was debated long and hard (see Tony numbers of observers. Peter Smith gave an Marr’s comments which follow below) account of his discovery in Birding World (9: before being regarded as ‘not proven’ (Ibis 70-73).The Nottingham waxwing’s identifica- 135: 221; Brit. Birds 86: 229, 538). tion and status as a wild bird were accepted Eleven years later, however, in 1996, fate by the British Birds Rarities Committee (Brit. took a hand. In the midst of one of the Birds 90: 495) and the British Ornithologists’ largest irruptions ever into Britain of Union Records Committee (Ibis 140: 182), Bohemian (Brit. Birds 90: 539- which led to the reconsideration of the 540), Peter Smith elected to browse through status of the earlier individual, on Noss. the National Geographic Society Field Cedar Waxwing was one of 38 species Guide to the Birds of North America predicted in 1980 by Chandler S. Robbins as (1983), swot up on the characteristics of the ‘most likely candidates for autumn Cedar Waxwing,‘ponder on the possibility of transatlantic flight’ (Brit. Birds 73: 448-457), one turning up, given the enormous influx of which 39% have occurred in the 20 years of Bohemian Waxwings currently present since then. and the large number of American vagrants Prof. Colin Bradshaw, Chairman of the discovered during the last autumn’ (Brit. BBRC, has commented: ‘There were few, if Birds 89: 582-583), and go out a couple of any, real identification issues with this record hours later to look at the undertail-coverts of owing to both the quality of the submission the waxwings in his local flock at Elmswood and the distinctiveness of the species in Gardens, Sherwood, Nottingham. In his question. There are only three members of account, Peter Smith recorded that he the subfamily Bombycillinae – Bohemian ‘almost immediately found one that was dull Waxwing, Cedar Waxwing and Japanese white’ (rather than dark rufous-chestnut) on Waxwing B. japonica – and no other birds the undertail-coverts. Amazingly, he had that bear any close resemblance to them. found England’s first Cedar Waxwing simply ‘Separation of Cedar from Bohemian

British Birds 93: 580-587, December 2000 583 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland /Birdwatch /Birdwatch Steve Young Steve Steve Young Steve M. McDonnell

357-359. Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum, Nottingham, February/March 1996. Note especially the whitish undertail-coverts; also the dark brown breast, the pale yellow flanks and sides of belly, relatively uniform wings lacking white wing-bars, restricted amount of black on chin, distinct upward curve and tilt to the mask behind the eye, and browner plumage than Bohemian Waxwing B. garrulus (see plates 360- 362).

584 British Birds 93: 580-587, December 2000 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland Iain H. Leach

360-362. Bohemian Waxwings Bombycilla garrulus, Norfolk, January 1991 (top) and March 1997 (lower two). Note especially the rufous-chestnut undertail-coverts; also the relatively pale breast, the greyish-buff belly, yellow and white tips to primaries, white tips to greater primary coverts and secondaries forming two short wing-bars, and generally greyer plumage than Cedar Waxwing B. cedrorum (see plates 357-359). Iain H. Leach Robin Chittenden

British Birds 93: 580-587, December 2000 585 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland Bill Simpson

Fig. 1. Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum, Nottingham, 21st February 1996.

Waxwing is, in all , relatively which shows on the folded wing.’ straightforward, as it is smaller, and generally The separation of Bohemian and Cedar browner, especially on the nape and mantle, Waxwings was covered in detail by Peter with a white vent and pale yellow belly,com- Lansdown (Brit. Birds 89: 546-548). pared with the overall grey plumage with Tony Marr, Chairman of the BOURC, has chestnut vent and beige belly of Bohemian. commented: ‘When first considered, this The wings, with just some whitish primary record was placed in Category D of the shafts and inner edges to the tertials, are rela- British List, in view of the possibility of tively uniform, lacking the white on the escape. There had been a probable escapee primary coverts and the yellow and white seen in Oxfordshire on 12th July 1985 and tips to the primaries shown by Bohemian found dead the next day, which clearly influ- Waxwing. Whilst there is a difference in the enced the decision. It was known, however, “face” pattern, with less black on the throat that there had been a number of reports of and a distinct upward tilt to the mask behind Cedar Waxwings on board ships in the North the eye of Cedar Waxwing, the presence or Atlantic, and that the species was a possible absence of a white line above the black mask vagrant. On the first circulation, members’ is unhelpful as, although more common on votes were nine for Category D and one for Cedar Waxwing, it can be present or absent Category A, though the individual decision in on both species. each case was very marginal. ‘Separation from , a rel- ‘The assessment of the record of the bird atively common bird in aviculture in the UK, which occurred in Nottingham from 20th is slightly easier, although that species is February to 18th March 1996, accepted into similar in size to Cedar Waxwing, with a Category A as a wild bird, prompted a reap- yellow belly, and also lacks white on the praisal of the Noss record. In addition to the primary coverts and secondaries. The tip of occurrence of the Nottingham bird itself, the tail and the vent are crimson and there is two further factors emerged which lent a red band at the base of the secondaries, weight to the argument that the Noss bird

586 British Birds 93: 580-587, December 2000 McKay: Cedar Waxwing in Shetland could have been a wild vagrant. First, a tively stable during 1978-1985, at £25 to £35 record of a Bohemian Waxwing in Iceland per bird, but the maximum price shot up to from April to July 1989 had been reconsid- £68 in 1986 and again to £95 in 1990, a ered in 1995 and found in fact to have been sure indication that supplies were short. of a Cedar Waxwing, constituting, at that ‘The combination of three factors – (1) time, the first fully accepted record of the the subsequent records in Iceland and in species for the Western Palearctic (Bliki 11: Nottingham, (2) the information relating to 50-51; 16: 7-11, 31; Brit. Birds 88: 38; 89: 260). movements and abundance in northeastern Secondly, during the consideration of the North America, and (3) the sharp reduction Nottingham record, the BOURC obtained in the late 1980s in the number kept in cap- from Newfoundland much helpful informa- tivity – led the Committee to upgrade the tion on the status and migration of Cedar Noss record from Category D to Category A, Waxwing. thus to become not only the first for Britain, ‘Bruce Mactavish in Newfoundland wrote but also the first for the Western Palearctic. that “There is real movement of Cedar ‘The species, which is monotypic, breeds Waxwings in the month of June. They fly across much of the northern United States with more purpose, dropping out of the sky of America and southern Canada, the popula- to treetops for a few moments before flying tion moving southwards to winter down into off high and far into the distance. Usually Mexico. singles or small groups, not the flocks that ‘This experience is an interesting reflec- we see in fall and winter. During June migra- tion on the use of Category D for records tion they are frequently encountered over over which there are doubts about the origin coniferous forest where they do not nest…. of a bird. Regarded by some cynics as “D for The birds give one the impression of real Dumping”, the purpose of Category D is in migration. June is the only month in which fact that of a holding category, so that this happens.”His notes revealed that in June records relating to birds of uncertain prove- 1985 there was an average to slightly above- nance are not overlooked and can be average migration of Cedar Waxwings reassessed in future years in the light of through Newfoundland. He suggested that further records, or the receipt of new or June would be a good month for a Cedar additional information relating to the Waxwing to overshoot Newfoundland and species’ occurrences elsewhere. This record find itself out over the Atlantic Ocean. is a good example of the benefits of having ‘The species used to be imported regu- such a category, as first suggested by Sir A. larly in small numbers. It was advertised Landsborough Thomson and instituted in annually in Cage & Aviary Birds from at 1971 (Ibis 113: 420-423).’ least 1975 (the first year for which there was We are still hoping to publish two other a complete analysis) to 1991. It became long-overdue accounts of the first occur- scarcer in the 1980s, with, for example, none rences of species new to Britain and Ireland: reported in the 1988 and 1989 MAFF reports those concerning the Elegant Tern Sterna on the importation of birds.This was consid- elegans in Co. Down and Co. Cork during ered to be a result of the export ban on birds June to August 1982, and the first-winter applied by Mexico in September 1982. The Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea in Co. maximum advertised price remained rela- Cork in October 1985.

Announcement: Young Ornithologists of the Year 2000 The judging for this annual competition was JUNIOR (14 years and under) arranged, as usual, for mid September, but, owing 1st = Loreen Chan (Ealing, London) to the fuel crisis at that time, had to be postponed 1st = Anthony Price (Chelmarsh, Shropshire) and then rearranged when all the judges were INTERMEDIATE (15-17 years) again available. The full results, together with 1st Jack Wylson (Lowestoft, Suffolk) examples of the winners’ notebook entries, will Runners-up: Stuart Piner (Lancashire) and Ashley be presented in next month’s issue. We can, Saunders (Norfolk) however, announce that the winners were as SENIOR (18-21 years) follows: 1st Robert Martin (Beeston, Nottinghamshire)

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