Daurian : new to the Western Palearctic

Nick Riddiford, Paul V. Harvey and Kevin B. Shepherd

ust betore lunch (at 13.00 GMT) on 7th May 1985, PVH and KBS were Jdiscussing the morning's census in the Observatory common room on Fair Isle, Shetland, when a most peculiar bird, resembling a Starling Stumus vulgaris, but showing a lot of white in the wing, flew right past the window. Both observers grabbed their binoculars and dashed outside. NR, newly arrived from census work, saw their precipitous exit and followed them. The bird was quickly relocated on a rocky crag above the Observatory garage. Though none of us had previous experience of the species, PVH, who that winter had spent some time in Thailand and Malaysia, tentatively identified it as Daurian Starling S. sturninus. PVH also remembered that this species had been predicted as a future Palearctic visitor to Britain by Wallace (1980), and excitement increased as we realised that we were looking at a species which might be new to the West Palearctic. A quick dash to the Observatory gave access to King et al. (1975), from which we confirmed the identification. The bird spent the next few hours flycatching from the rocky crag and on flatter short-cropped turf between the Observatory and South Haven. It was an incredible bird to watch as it 'flycatched' up into a clear blue sky, sometimes as high as 20 m or more above its sally perches. Eventually, the bird became aware of human presence and flew across the Havens to Buness. Thereafter, it was much more flighty, and finally disappeared. It was rediscovered later that day at Gilsetter, where it remained to 8th. There was no sign of it during 9th-12th, but, remarkably, it reappeared on 13th at Field midden and later at Barkland, in which area it remained

[Brit. BirdsSi: 603-612, December 1989] 603 604 Daurian Starling: new to the Western Pakarctic until 28th May, being trapped on 21st. It would flycatch whenever possible, but fed on the ground in miserable weather, and this may have been the reason for its protracted stay. Its behaviour did, however, allow us ample opportunity to study it and observe the following details. General summary of features It was a small starling Stumus with pale grey head, nape and underparts, deep purple mantle, apricot-buff rump, shortish tail with metallic green sheen, and wings similarly coloured but with a broad curving white wingbar across the median coverts, a shorter white bar at the base of the primaries, and white spots on the tertials. An ashy-grey spot on the rear crown was just visible at times, as were fine grey streaks on the lower nape. Vent and undertail-coverts were washed apricot-buff. Its manner of flight was faintly reminiscent of that of a Roller Coracias garrulus. Its underwing was white, yet it still showed an obvious white wingbar when flying overhead. In particular, the prominent, deep purple mantle and the clearness of the white wingbars indicated an adult male. It fed voraciously on small flying insects when they were available (invariably when the sun shone), flying decisively upwards sometimes to 20 m or more to take its prey, landing again, snapping off the insect's wings and swallowing the body. When cloud rolled in and flies were no longer available, it fed on the ground, probing around sheep droppings and finding mainly worms.

Detailed description GENERAL APPEARANCE Size Probably a littie larger than Wheatear virtually adjoining mantle seen to be very Oenanthe oenanthe of Greenland race kucmiioa finely streaked darker grey, this streaking and about 20% bigger than male Wheatears dying out in mid-neck region. Small dull of the local breeding population (the only darkish grey spot at junction of hindcrown initially available for size comparison). and neck was hidden or nearly so when bird On one occasion, it flew after two stood 'at ease', but visible when it leant and, though trailing behind them (so no forward to peck at a prey item on the direct comparison), appeared smaller,' but ground; even when visible, spot was not not greatly so, probably owing to the broad­ outstanding nor appeared to possess colour­ ness of its wings. In later days, seen with ful or intensely dark tones. Narrow whitish Starlings and noted to be considerably eye-ring visible at close range, and lores smaller. whitish-grey, making short pale loral stripe. Upperparts Mantle iridescent dark purple, Shape Clearly a species of starling on struc­ looking a 'mantle' in the true sense because ture, shape and stance. purple sharply demarcated from pale grey of Proportions As Starling, except tail a little neck by straight cut-off border. Mantle and shorter, bill perhaps proportionately stouter back uniform glossy purple (looking black at and certainly less tapering, feet enormously first sight and from distance), but again a big for size of bird (particularly the long sharp cut-off between purple back and rump toes). Wing point about V4 in (12 mm) short (and probably uppertail-coverts), latter of tail tip. appearing as broad apricot-coloured band, richest in centre and paling to apricot-buff PLUMAGE at sides; this band looked unmarked except Head Entire head a pale ashy-grey, only at close quarters, when two smudgy dark slightly darker than underparts. Nape purplish upward-facing chevrons apparent appeared concolorous with rest of head, in centre of rump (at point of richest except at close quarters, when lower nape coloration), in some views these chevrons Daurian Starling; new to the H 'estem Palearctic 605 appearing as broken-line extensions from part of wing corresponding with relative purple hack. lengths of the three tertials. Tail appeared dark at distance, but was in Some spilling over of purple onto upper- Tact metallic dark screen; buff tone to outer scapular/lesser-covert area, but other major web of outer tail feather apparent in one wing colours metallic green overlain by view, but on all other occasions, including at bands and spots of white or buff, (irev outer close range, this feature hidden. Tail rela­ webs of flight feathers not visible in field tively short and square-looking, particularly views. owing to square end (no evidence in any I nderparts Chin to belly and flanks pale grey. view of notch or fork). a shade or two paler than head/nape, palest Vpperwing Wry complicated in pattern. lone from centre of lower breast onto belly. Broad diagonal band of white running from Vent and undertail-covcrts very pale shoulder of closed wing towards scapulars, apricot-buff (paler than any pari of rump). running mainly across median coverts, with Hare parts Hill dull bluish-grey; length some extension onto greater coverts; dia­ equivalent to distance from bill base to just gonal white band was straight or slightly behind eye, and stout to tip, not tapering as convex to near scapulars, then continued as on Starling. legs and feet matt grey with almost equally broad extension longitudin­ slight bluish tinge; tarsi appeared propor­ ally on inner greater coverts. In (light, band tionately much as on Starling (i.e. not appeared to 'cut the wings off* from body. particularly long); in contrast, feet large Tertials appeared bluish-purple with whit­ (estimated proportions two-thirds toe to ish tips. Edges to white band rather jagged, one-third claw). Eye appeared all dark, but projecting upwards towards central lesser not seen close enough to discern colours coverts and downwards in two projections: clearly. onto inner and onto two of outermost greater coverts (either greater coverts 1-2 or FI.KilM CHARACTERISTICS 2-15), whose outer webs appeared mainly or General In short flights, did not fly in manner wholly pale buff. Also suggestions of pale of Starling apart from sharing latter's curv­ buff tips to inner greater coverts. PVII ing glides, recalling bee-eaters Merops. At described pattern as being, in effect, two times, flight reminiscent of Roller, this due wingbars (one scapular and one median- partly to its wing shape (relatively broad for covert) which on closed wing ran into each length of wing) and partly to its tendency to other, resulting in one bar with upward rock from side to side in flight. Often flew up projection of white in centre. vertically from ground (sometimes to an Additional to this broad band were: a estimated 12 m or more), caught a Hying short, narrower, horizontal white band, insect and dropped to ground again. Over most obvious in flight, across outer wing (as longer distances, flew much more like Starl­ it transpired, the visible bases to primaries); ing. three separate white or buff-white spots on I rnderwing Whole underwing white except for tertials (in close views, these seen to com­ broad dark trailing edge, yet still showed an prise white for half the outer web of each, obvious white, perhaps translucent, under­ continuing across to distal quarter of inner wing bar across entire flight feathers. web). The three spots were spaced on inner Vpperwing l.pperwing also showed diffuse

361 8c 362. Daurian Starling sturnintts, Shetland, May 1985 (T. If. Isincaster) 606 Daurian Starling: new to the Western Palearctic white bar in flight, extending across base of CALL primaries and possibly also onto outer Heard to call only at take-off, when often secondaries, though this difficult to judge. uttered a note similar to Starling's take-off This bar, although obvious, appeared call: rendered as a slow, soft, drawn-out shorter than from below. 'chirrup'. Feeding behaviour Initially, it spent much of its time fiycatching. It positioned itself on prominent perches such as rocks on a steep incline, a telegraph pole near the Observatory garage and the Observatory linen post, launching itself upwards, twisting to take the fly, then mainly gliding down to the same sally point or, more frequently, to a lower level. Occasionally it caught flies by flying upwards from flat areas. Its fiycatching ability and technique were very impressive, being reminiscent at times of a Bee-eater M. apiaster. Later, it spent much of its time walking over short-cropped turf, probing for worms and leatherjackets. It was especially drawn to larger sheep droppings, which it investigated by looking, then probing at the edge, often lifting the dropping slightly to peck at invertebrates underneath. It had a high rate of capture with both forms of foraging. Its manner of movement across the grass was mainly a 'business-like' waddling walk. When walking, it gave little jerks of the head. It was also given to short, determined runs, when it bounded along much in the manner of a Starling; this was very much brought home to us when, from 13th May, it joined local Starlings to feed on household waste at Barkland Croft.

363 & 364. Daurian Starling Sturnus stuminus, Shetland, May 1985, showing gait (Nick Riddiford)

Description in the hand Field observations suggested that the bird was in pristine condition. When trapped on 21st May, it was in perfect bare-part and plumage condition, apart from one broken outer tail feather. The following details were noted when ringing. Daurian Starling: new to the Western Palearctic 607

365 & 366. Daurian Starling Sturnus sturninus, Shetland, May 1985 (T. W. Lancaster)

[The inclusion of plates 365 & 366 in colour has been subsidised by a donation from ZEISS West Germany] 608 Daurian Starling: new to the Western Palearctic

367. Daurian Starling Sturnus stuminus, Shetland, May 1985 (Elizabeth Riddi- ford)

BIOMETRICS Measurements Wing 109 mm; bill 13 mm from feathers, 17 mm from skull; tarsus 53 mm; weight 49.4 g. Wing formula

First primary 13.5 mm shorter than primary coverts. Longest secondary (outermost) 36 mm shorter than longest primary. Supplementary measurements Wing point to tertials 32 mm; tarsus width 3.0 mm; bill depth at rear of nostrils 6.2 mm; bill width at rear of nostrils 7.2 mm.

PLUMAGE Head Forehead, crown and nape pale ashy- Upperwing (coverts) Lesser coverts dark brown grey, feathers arranged in lines; hindcrown with slight iridescent purple tone. Median with very faint roundish dark grey-black coverts as lesser coverts on inner third, but spot, 6 mm in diameter. Dull dark grey outer third off-white, joining with outer tips bases to hind and central crown feathers, of scapulars (white, with slight yellow-buff mainly hidden, but at maximum wear would tone) to create wingbar. Alula: large feather black with white tip to outer web; middle reveal more obvious dark spot measuring feather white on outer web, black on inner approximately 16 mm long by 8 mm wide. web; smallest feather white with dark grey Ashy-grey feathers of neck overlying dark mesial stripe. Carpal covert white with thin iridescent purple of mantle, back and scapu­ grey mesial stripe. Primary coverts grey- lars. black, with metallic green iridescence on fringe of outer web and across onto tip of Upperparts Mantle, back and upper rump inner web. Greater coverts as primary dark iridescent purple. Lower rump apricot coverts, but inner greater coverts tending yellow-buff with slight purplish extensions from green to purple: second outermost on centre of rump. Shortest uppertail- greater covert with narrow off-white tip; coverts apricot-yellow, tending to yellow- others with thorn-shaped intrusions of white buff at edges; longest uppertail-coverts pur­ (with slight grey tone) from tip, increasing ple. Tail black with metallic green tone in size progressively ascendantly. faintly admixed purple; outer tail feather dirty buff-yellow on outer web (right outer­ Upperwing (flight feathers) Primaries grey- most broken halfway). black, with obvious grey-brown fringes to Daurian Starling: new to the Western Palearctic 609

outer webs of outermost six and metallic green outer webs to others. Inner web of primary 3 ascendantly to primary 10 with 368 8c 369. Daurian Starling Sturnus sturni- large white elongated half-moons. Secondar­ nus, Shetland, May 1985 {D. Pankhurst) ies: proximal half of outer webs ash-grey with metallic green sheen, extent of ash-grey decreasing ascendantly from over half on 1st to about one-third on 5th and none on visible portion of 6th. Tertials: metallic green tone to outer webs, purple to inner webs; white tip and thorn-shaped intrusion, tending to grey, on all three and on inner­ most secondary. Underwing Flight feathers predominantly white, but distal third grey and grey on outer primary extending to primary covert, with only narrow white inner web. Sides of head and underparts Lores almost white. Narrow white eye-ring virtually complete. Ear-coverts ash-grey, slightly paler than neck. Chin paler still. Upper breast and flanks as ear-coverts. Lower breast and belly white with slight grey tone. Undertail- coverts with slight apricot-buff tone. Bare parts Eye very dark brown, almost black. Upper mandible black, with slight grey tone to centre and across bridge; lower mandible mid-grey, with central part dark grey, tip black, and basal third darkish grey-black. Legs and feet dull darkish grey (slightly darker and duller than on Icterine Warbler Hippolais icterina).

[The inclusion of plates 368 & 369 in colour has been subsidised by a donation from ZEISS West (Germany] 610 Daurian Starling: new to the Western Pakarctic State of plumage and of bare parts Slight wear on most tail feather (despite right outermost outermost (2nd) primary, but welt within broken halfway). Bill, tarsus, feet and claws normal range for Starling; otherwise plum­ all normal and unblemished. age immaculate, including second outer­

Discussion This record must have given the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee a real headache. Much of the information in this section derives from the material collected by the BOURC. There was no doubting the identification, but the bird was massively west of its known breeding range and the possibility of its being an escape from captivity had also to be considered. The species breeds in northern Mongolia, middle Amur through Ussuriland, Manchuria and northern Korea to Hebei and Gansu. It presumably migrates mainly through China, though there are very few records in the southern half of that country, and Southeast Asia. Its winter distribution is incompletely known, but it probably winters mainly in Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra. Extralimital records to the west include individuals apparently collected from a flock of 70-80 on the Nicobar Islands and from a July 1902 flock of 17 in what is now northeast Pakistan. (Distributional information from Tim Inskipp in litt. on behalf of the BOURC.) The entire population leaves breeding areas at the end of summer (Dementiev & Gladkov 1954; Winter & Sokolov 1983). In favour of vagrancy was this species' long-distance-migrant status and also its rarity in captivity. In a search conducted for the BOURC, Tim Inskipp (in litt.) could find only two advertisements offering Daurian Starling for sale in Cage and Aviary Birds (in 1978 and 1985) and expressed doubts about the identification of the latter bird(s). Demand for the species in Britain (indicated by a number of import-licence applications in the 1980s), but no actual importations, prompted Tim Inskipp to suggest (in litt.) that the species may have proved difficult to obtain from the wild or to maintain in captivity. The latter possibility was also alluded to by La Touche (1920-21), who was 'never able to keep them for more than a few months'. Nevertheless, with no previous record of the species west of Pakistan, this bird was enormously outside its range, even for a long-distance migrant. There was also the puzzle of its apparent arrival date, about a week before main breeding-ground arrivals in middle Amur (Winter & Sokolov 1983) and up to two weeks prior to Soviet arrivals generally (Dementiev & Gladkov 1954). These, however, refer to main arrivals, and earlier arrivals are probably regular, Efremov & Pan'kin (1977) recording solitary individuals and small flocks north of 50°N in the Upper Amur region between 20th and 30th April in three years during 1967-71. The Fair Isle individual was not the only Daurian Starling to occur in Europe in 1985. On 29th September, one still in juvenile plumage was shot in Norway (Bentz 1987). This raised the possibility that the Shetland bird, too, had initially strayed westwards in autumn, thus reaching Fair Isle the following spring from an overwintering location well outside its normal range. It was not, however, the only vagrant to have strayed west Daurian Starling: new to the Western Palearctic 611

Fig. 1. Weather maps for 12.00 GMT on 5th, 6th & 7th May 1985. x = Fair Isle of a (predominantly) Asiatic range that day, for a Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica was found on Fair Isle only an hour before. Weather-map analysis for early May (fig. 1) demonstrated an ideal juxtaposition of weather systems for long-distance spring overshooting. Suitable weather developed from 5th May, when an anticyclone became established over the western USSR. The anticyclone extended westwards on 6th to be centred over the north Baltic, while low pressure over south-central Europe ensured a freshening easterly windflow from the Soviet Union and across much of central Europe. The anticyclone continued to dominate and increased to 1032 mb on 7th. With its centre now over Finland, and low presure of 1000 mb centred over southern Germany creating a steep pressure gradient, winds became strong easterly over western Russia and the Baltic region and moderate-fresh but remaining easterly to southeasterly over the North Sea. An additional factor was cloud cover over much of that projected route. The wind at Fair Isle was southeast force 2 and the bird apparently arrived in sunshine (with clouds rolling in shortly after). The weather situation, therefore, suggested a higher probability of early-May overshooting on strong tail winds from the USSR than shorter-distance displacement from a wintering area in western or southern Europe. The Daurian Starling on Fair Isle was accepted into Category A of the British and Irish list by the BOURC and constituted the first record of this species for the West Palearctic, only four months before the second.

Acknowledgments We owe a great debt of gratitude to the BOU Records Committee (and especially Tim Inskipp) for their extraordinarily detailed research and the resulting information regarding distribution and captive records; to Mike Wilson for bringing to our attention and translating key Soviet works on the species; to Dave Wheeler of Fair Isle weather station for access to and help with the interpretation of weather data; and to Dave Suddaby for the provision of his line-drawing.

Summary An adult male Daurian Starling Stumus stuminus was first seen on Fair Isle, Shetland, on 7th May 1985; it remained until 28th May, being trapped on 2lst. Full field and in-the-hand descriptions of this individual, which was in near-immaculate condition, are given and its general behaviour summarised. In fine weather, it spent much of its time flycatching, but, when flies were not available, probed for food on the ground and also associated with 612 Daurian Starling: new to the Western Palearctic

Starlings S. vulgaris to take household waste. The probable origin of this western Asiatic species is discussed: investigations showed escape from captivity to have been unlikely, while the weather situation at the time favoured overshooting on spring migration. This record, accepted into Category A of the British and Irish list by the BOURC, constitutes the first for this species in the West Palearctic.

References BKNTZ. P.-G. 1987. Sjeldne fugler i Norge i 1985. Var Fuglefauna 10: 91-95. DKMKVIIKV, G. P., & Gi.ADKov, N. A. 1954. Birds of the Soviet Union. Jerusalem. KFRKMOV. V. F., & PAN'KIN. N. S. 1977. Ecology of starlings in the Upper Amur region. In of the Far East 2: 29-33. [In Russian.] Blagoveshchensk. Kix<;. B. V., DK:KIN<:SON, E. C. & WOODCOCK. M. \V. 1975. .1 Field (hiide to the Birds of South East Asia. London. LA lot cm:, J. 1). I). 1920-21. Notes on the birds of north-east Ohihli in north China. Ibis 11(2): 629-671, 880-920: 11(3): 3-48. \VAI.I..\CI-'„ I). I. M. 1980. Possible future Palearctic vagrants to Britain. Brit. Birds 73: 388-397. WIVIT.K, S. V., & SOKOI.OY. E. P. 1983. The Daurian Starling in Middle Amur. Trudy Zoo/. Inst. I.eningr. 116: 61-71. fin Russian.] Mick Riddiford, Paul V. flan>e)' arid Kevin B. Shepherd Bird Observatory, Fair Isle, Shetland ZE2 9/1'

Peter Lansdown (Chairman, British Birds Rarities Committee) and John Mather (Chair­ man, British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee) have commented as follows: 'With no confusion species for a male Daurian Starling in this plumage, the identification was unanimously accepted by both committees on single circulations. Categorisation was not so straightforward, and the BOURC considered numerous factors, most of which are featured in the above paper. The escape element for such an exceptional species is always difficult to assess and a very full discussion took place before a final decision was reached. 'Acceptance of this Daurian Starling as being of genuine occurrence (Brit. Birds 81: 587; Ibis in prep.) resulted in the species being placed in Category A of the British and Irish list.' Ll>s