Print March 1999

EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR IN DORSET: THE SECOND BRITISH RECORD GRAHAME WALBRIDGE Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius (Dave Nurney) ABSTRACT The first British record of Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius was in Nottinghamshire on 23rd June 1883 (Zoologist (1883): 374). The only other accepted record in Britain and Ireland was in Dorset on 10th June 1984, over 100 years later. This paper documents the circumstances of the second occurrence. t about 13.30 GMT on 10th June stony field before flying through a gap in a 1984, at Portland Bill, Dorset, I hedge. I watched it through 8x binoculars, Awas walking through some rough on occasions as close as 30 m. pasture when I flushed what was obviously At this point I left, happy that the bird a very pale nightjar Caprimulgus from long was an Egyptian Nightjar C. aegyptius, made grass right under my feet. During the next several telephone calls and returned with ten minutes or so, I flushed the bird on a several other observers within half an hour. further two occasions in bright sunlight. On Despite an exhaustive search of the area the second occasion, it flew only a short (somewhat hampered by the amount of long distance, but I was unsuccessful in trying to grass being grown for silage) during the rest obtain views of it on the ground. On the of the daylight hours, and attempts to lure third and final occasion that it was flushed, the bird to tape-recordings of the species, it the bird made several circuits of a large, was not relocated. British Birds 92: 155–161, March 1999 155 WALBRIDGE:EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR IN DORSET DESCRIPTION UPPERPARTS: Head, mantle and rump a rather pale sandy-grey. No obvious markings noted (but this difficult to ascertain since the bird was not seen on the ground, and it rather took me by surprise on each occasion when it was flushed). WINGS: Lesser, median, greater and greater primary coverts as upperparts. Primaries and secondaries noticeably darker, contrasting with rest of wing and upperparts; darkest on primaries, where barring was heaviest, lighter and less marked across secondaries towards tertials. No white visible in primaries. This resulted in contrast/pattern to the upperparts and wings somewhat recalling a female Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus. TAIL: Coloration as upperparts, barred lightly with dark brown/black, most marked on outer part of tail, fading to BARE PARTS: Bill barely visible, as with centre. No white in tail. Tail long, and European Nightjar C. europaeus. Eye very squarish ended. obvious, large and black, standing out UNDERPARTS: Mainly very pale sandy-grey, against pale plumage. Legs not seen. as upperparts, but a shade paler. Indistinct CALL: The bird was silent. white throat patch and area around FLIGHT/SILHOUETTE: Flight lazy and jinking, vent/undertail-coverts. Some faint barring as European Nightjar, and fast. Bird visible on sides/flanks when bird seen at its appeared, however, to have longer and closest point. more-pointed wings than European UNDERWING: From a distance, appeared Nightjar. Size difficult to judge, with wholly very pale, whitish with dark tip. nothing for comparison, but looked large, Axillaries appeared white; rest of underwing perhaps an illusion caused by the pallid off-white, with black around tip, and black appearance. barring from leading edge of wing, fading The bird’s behaviour in flight was exactly across tip. as other nightjar species that I have seen (glides on upheld wings, etc.), but I did note one unusual feature when it was on the ground. At one point, I saw it land some distance away and approached cautiously, all the time trying to obtain views of the bird. I got right up to where it had landed (having marked the spot fairly accurately by the position of some stones), whereupon it ‘got up’ from some 3-5 m away, from behind some large thistles: it had obviously moved after alighting. I have never noted this behaviour by any other nightjars. Figures 1 & 2. Drawings of Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius, Dorset, June 1984 (Grahame Walbridge), part of the documentation Grahame Walbridge, 17 Magennis House, submitted to the BBRC. Portland, Dorset DT5 2HR 156 British Birds 92: 155–161, March 1999 WALBRIDGE:EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR IN DORSET EDITORIAL COMMENT Denmark in May and June 1983, the Matters relevant to the record discussed findings of a museum examination of during its circulations of the BBRC and the Egyptian Nightjar, clarification of the BOURC are outlined by the chairmen of the precise appearance of the unwini race of two committees. European Nightjar and the views of other Peter Lansdown (Chairman of the BBRC Committee members. in 1988) has commented: ‘The submission, ‘Following a skin check at the BBRC’s which consisted of the circumstances of the meeting at the British Museum (Natural sighting, the description and two sketches History) at Tring in June 1985, the record, of the bird (figs. 1 & 2), received its first together with a copy of the paper detailing circulation of the BBRC from January to the record of Egyptian Nightjar in Sweden June 1985. This generated two votes to in May 1972 (Vår Fågelvärld 32: 34-39), began reject and eight “pend” votes (0: 2: 8). its recirculation in August 1985. During The dissenters both quoted, from the this recirculation, which was completed in description, characters which, at the time, August 1986, members added the relevant they mistakenly believed to be wrong for pages from BWP vol. 4, discussed the likely Egyptian Nightjar, and they (and others) appearance of a leucistic European Nightjar quite properly raised the question of the and contributed details of their own observ- appearance of a leucistic European Nightjar. ations of European Nightjar C. e. unwini. The remaining voters expressed a wish to Although no BBRC member had had any see the record again and there were various experience of a leucistic European Nightjar, requests for it to be accompanied by the it was generally agreed that this pitfall could relevant extract from the then recently be disregarded because of the bird’s published volume 4 of The Birds of the strikingly contrasting plumage, in particular Western Palearctic, copies of any published the barring across the upper surfaces of papers covering the Egyptian Nightjar the flight-feathers and the underwing-tip records from Sweden in May 1972 and pattern. It was also agreed that unwini was Figure 3. Pages from Grahame Walbridge’s field notebook, supplied to the BBRC in February 1988, with details of the Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius, Dorset, June 1984. British Birds 92: 155–161, March 1999 157 WALBRIDGE:EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR IN DORSET eliminated by the bird’s pale undersides to Indeed, he summed up “I’m sure now it its primaries, its uniformly pale upperwing- was one but not totally proven.” Other coverts and its overall pallid appearance. than on a record’s first circulation, nine Four members voted to accept the record, votes for acceptance translate to an overall while six requested further information (4: 0: decision by the BBRC to accept the record. 6). In addition to expressing concern over Accordingly, as a record of potentially the the bird’s wing-shape and the colour of its first Egyptian Nightjar in Britain and primary coverts, three of the six felt that, for Ireland for over 50 years (and therefore of a such an extraordinary record from a single species then currently in Category B of the observer, an observer profile should be British and Irish List), the file was passed assembled. The BBRC assesses all reports to the BOURC in July 1987 for that carefully, but is especially thorough when committee’s assessment. claims are by a small number of observers or, ‘During August and September 1987, as in this case, a single observer. Wishful the validity of the record was questioned thinking and self-delusion are less likely three times. Two observers approached when numbers of other, potentially critical the BBRC’s Chairman, one in the field and observers have seen a bird, and the one by telephone, alleging that the final possibility of such over-optimism must be description of the bird was far more detailed borne in mind by any assessment panel. than the notes made at and immediately Later voters on the recirculation responded following the sighting. The third communi- to the plumage queries and provided a full cation was a typed, unsigned letter to the discussion regarding the observer. BBRC’s Secretary; this also accused the ‘The record was considered by the BBRC observer of considerable embellishment of for the third time between September 1986 the original notes. The Committee abhors and June 1987. There were nine votes for such anonymous accusations, but, as with acceptance with one for rejection (9: 1: 0). information given to the police by informers, Even the out-of-step voter was quite regards it as essential that the matter should favourably disposed towards the record, be thoroughly investigated and the evidence but felt that the short views and the lack of considered objectively. Consequently, the other observers made it less than certain BBRC requested the return of the file from considering the species’ extreme rarity. the BOURC; fortunately, this was before the 28. Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius, Jahra Pool, Kuwait, May 1997 (Nigel Cleere) 158 British Birds 92: 155–161, March 1999 WALBRIDGE:EGYPTIAN NIGHTJAR IN DORSET record had started its circulation. In January ‘There was no problem with the 1988, the BBRC’s Chairman wrote to the identification. The BBRC had covered this observer to acquaint him with the substance very thoroughly, and BOURC members of the three separate approaches and to urge agreed that the description rang true him to respond as rationally as possible to with its feeling of immediacy, its convincing the allegations.

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