Daurian Redstart in Scotland: captive origin and the British List

Alan G. Knox, on behalf of the British Omitkobgists' Union Records Committee n 29th April 1988, while carrying out a weekly count of Common Eiders OSomateria mollissima on the Isle of May, Fife, Marc Jones found a male redstart Phomicums feeding on the turf near the Low Light. As it flew off, he noticed a large amount of white in the wings (Jones 1988). MJ dictated a quick description into his pocket tape recorder and resumed his eider-counting. When he later returned to the NCC accommodation on the island, he told Dr Michael P. Harris, Robert Proctor and, later, Keith Brockie. No-one else saw the redstart that day. In the absence of suitable literature, the general opinion was that the bird had probably been one of the Mediterranean or Asian races of the Common Redstart P. phomicums. MPH and Dr Sarah Wanless may have seen the same bird on the island on 23rd March but, at the time, they, too, had assumed that it was a Common Redstart of one of the eastern races. The following morning, 30th April, MJ relocated the redstart some 200 m from the original site, where he and KB were then able to watch it for several minutes. At approximately 14.00 BST on the same afternoon, MJ once again saw the redstart feeding on the turf in the same area. He called RP over, but the bird ran down a rabbit burrow before he arrived. When KB joined them a few minutes later, the bird was still out of sight. The bird was removed from the burrow, but later died. KB took the corpse widi him when he left the island that afternoon and telephoned the next day to say that it was possibly a Daurian Redstart P. auroreus. This was later confirmed when KB and Bernie Zonfrillo compared me

\Bril. Birds 86: 359-366, August 19931 359 360 Origin of Daurian Redstart in Scotland specimen with skins at the Royal Museum of Scotland. A painting of the bird has been published (Brockie 1990) and is also reproduced here (fig. 1, page 365). The unfortunate individual has been further immortalised as a skin at the RMS (plate 118), and in ornithological folklore as the 'Daurian Deadstart'.

Description (based on notes by MJ and RP) Size and structure Similar in size and shape to Common Redstart. Plumage General appearance of upperparts noticeably darker than that of Common Redstart. Back and wings almost black, contrasting vividly with brilliant white wing patches. Crown, nape and mantle slate-grey as on Common Redstart, but lacking white forehead of that species. Throat and 'cheeks' black. Breast, belly, flanks and remainder of underparts to undertail-coverts deep brick- red (MJ) or cinnamon, slightly darker than tail (RP). Tail pattern obvious in flight: central tail feathers very dark, almost or completely black, contrasting with red (MJ), or deep orange, slightly darker than on Common Redstart (RP), outer tail feathers. Bare part Legs, bill and eyes black.

Identification The identification as a male Daurian Redstart was accepted on a single circulation around the British Birds Rarities Committee, and the record was passed to the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee, which examines all claimed 'firsts'. The BOURC also accepted the identification without any hesitation, but the question of origin remained.

Ectoparasite examination When KB and BZ had opened the box in which the specimen had been brought to the RMS, a flea had fallen from the bird's plumage. An unusual species of flea might have provided evidence suggestive of vagrancy. This particular flea, however, was identified as a male Ceratophylks himndixus, which, as its name implies, is usually found on hirundines.

Racial identification Vaurie (1959) listed two races of Daurian Redstart: nominate aunreus breeding from south-central Siberia to Ussuriland and Korea, and kucopterus, which breeds in central China and southeast Tibet. The former is migratory and winters south to south China, Hainan and Taiwan. P. a. kucopterus has a shorter migration and winters south to north Thailand and Vietnam. (See also Neufeldt & Vietinghoff-Scheel, 1983.) Compared with males of the nominate race, males "of the southern race kucopterus have darker rufous plumage on the underparts and blacker upperparts. The crown and nape are darker and greyer than on the nominate form (Vaurie 1959; see also Birckhead 1937). The skin of the Isle of May bird was borrowed by the BOURC from the RMS and taken to the Natural History Museum at Tring for critical examination. Part of the tail was missing, including the right-hand central feather. This is shown as present in the KB painting and was presumably lost subsequently, perhaps during skinning. The weight of the bird is given in the KB painting (fig. 1, page 365) as 14.7 g, but die label notes 7.6 g. Skins of the two races at the Natural History Museum had not been Origin qfDaurian Redstart in Scotland 361

116. Daurian Redstart Phoenicians auroreus, Isle of May, Scotland, 29th-30th April 1988. Specimen in the flesh (B. ^pnjrilk)

completely separated. In particular, migrants of the nominate race were mixed in with specimens of the more southerly kucoptems. Once the birds which had been collected during the breeding season were sorted into groups from different geographic areas, the races were seen to be'quite distinct. By comparison with other spring males, the Isle of May bird was attributable, to the race kucoptems. The crown and nape were dark grey-brown, contrasting little with the back and mantle. The primaries, secondaries and the central tail feather were almost black. Those from the Amur and Transbaikal area (nominate auroreus) had pale crown and nape contrasting' markedly with the back and mande, and had much browner wing and central tail feathers. The colour of the underparts of the Scottish bird matched kucopterus better, although some nominate specimens were as rich. The Scottish specimen had narrow brown edges to the feathers of die upperparts, narrower than those found on the nominate race.

V~A The inclusion of plate 116 in colour has been subsidised by a donation from Carl ^eiss (Oberkochm) Ltd. 362 Origin ofDaurian Redstart in Scotland

117. Daurian Redstart Phoenkurm auroreus, Isle of May, Scotland, 29th-30th April 1988. Tip of right wing showing broken tips to feathers (A. G. Knox)

118. Daurian Redstart Phoenicians auroreus, Isle of May, Scotland, 29th-30th April 1988. Skin, now at the Royal Museum of Scotland [A. G. Knox) Plumage condition The plumage of the bird was fresh and in quite good condition, sufficiently fresh to suggest that the bird was an adult. While most of the plumage was good, some individual feathers were, however, significantly damaged. At least two of the tail feathers had notches near the tip. The other tail feathers were in very good condition. None of the museum skins showed similar notches on otherwise fresh tail feathers. On both wings, the two longest primaries had broken tips (plate 117). As can be seen in the photograph, the barbs extended beyond the end of the shafts. These tips were broken, not worn. Again, although a few skins at Tring showed primaries with damaged tips, this (a) was infrequent, (b) tended to be a shorter length broken off, and (c) was confined to only one feather: never this amount of damage to the two longest feathers and never on both wings. The other primaries and secondaries on the Isle of May bird showed very little wear. The birds at Tring with damaged primary tips were generally in a more worn state, with Origin ofDaurian Redstart in Scotland 363

119. Daurian Redstart Phoenicurus auroreus, National Cage and Aviary Birds Exhibition, Birmingham, December 1992 (D. T. Parkirij more even wear on all the wing and tail feathers. Interestingly, the nominate birds (longer-distance migrants) were on average fairly heavily abraded, in contrast to the less-damaged plumage on most of the (less-migratory) leucopterus. The wear of the specimen from the Isle of May generally matched leucopterus better.

Escape likelihood Wheeler (1988) has already pointed out that Daurian Redstarts were on sale in Britain between at least July and November 1987, at prices ranging from £65 to £85 each, contrary to the editorial which accompanied Jones (1988). Indeed, the species has been available regularly since the mid 1980s following the opening of a market in a considerable number of Chinese species. Although not relevant to the Isle of May record, members of the BOURC saw a Daurian Redstart on show at the National Cage and Aviary Birds Exhibition at the NEC in December 1992 (plate 119).

Discussion Over a decade ago, D. I. M. Wallace included Daurian Redstart in a list of eastern species that he predicted might one day reach Britain (Wallace 1980). As such, the Isle of May individual looked a likely candidate for Category A of the British List. The reality turned out to be quite different. The identification of the Isle of May bird as belonging to the southern race proved crucial. The northern race auroreus is a long-distance migrant breeding in an area from which a number of rare birds have made their way to the Western Palearctic. The more southerly leucopterus migrates shorter distances and breeds in an area which has, as yet, yielded no species for which there are accepted wild occurrences in the West. There is a flourishing trade in wild 364 Origin of Daurian Redstart in Scotland birds from China, and most are believed to come from the southern part of the country rather than the north. Although leucopterus breeds in the south, auroreus migrates through and winters in this area, and a captive origin would need to be considered for records of either race. The condition of the Isle of May bird's plumage was also worrying. Whilst it was not as poor as that of many ex-captives, it still suggested a period behind wire. The flea, which has never been recorded within the breeding or wintering ranges of hucoptems, was probably not originally from the redstart. The majority of long-distance passerine vagrants arc first-year birds which occur in autumn, although there are some notable exceptions (e.g. Golden- winged Warbler Vermivora chrysoptera: BOURC 1991; Doherty 1992). The Records Committee has become increasingly concerned about spring records of very rare birds long distances from their known breeding ranges. There has recently been further evidence to suggest that many of these are probably not of wild origin. The Daurian Redstart not only occurred in spring, but, on 29th-30th April, was much earlier than might have been expected. If it had been present since 23rd March as claimed, this would have been even more surprising for a wild bird. Considering all the available information, the Records Committee voted unanimously not to admit the Isle of May Daurian Redstart to any category of the British and Irish List (BOURC 1992).

What if... ? If the Daurian Redstart had been seen only in the field and a normal written description was all that had been submitted, it is possible or even likely that the species would have been accepted. It would probably not have been possible to assign the bird to race and there would have been few precise details of plumage condition. The escape likelihood would then have been balanced against the likelihood of natural occurrence. Wallace's (1980) prediction of natural occurrence might have pushed the record towards Category A, but, given the numbers in captivity in western Europe and the time of year, it is likely that this individual would have ended up in Category D. Most birders do not wish to see birds of known captive origin added to the British List. Furthermore, there is little to be gained from cluttering Category D with known or highly probable escaped cage-birds, although an argument could be made for keeping a separate list of such records. Category Dl as currently defined is for species where there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in a wild state (BOU 1992). With the burgeoning trade in wild birds, the task of the Records Committee is becoming increasingly difficult. Some of the most unexpected species are now kept in captivity. Escaped cage-birds could come from this country or anywhere on the Continent. They do not all turn up in suburban gardens where they are readily dismissed. Some migrate in spring and autumn, as they would have done in their natural range, arriving on remote headlands after storms, or on Fair Isle, the Isles of Scilly or the Isle of May. Many freshly escaped cage-birds have immaculate plumage, and others live long enough to moult in the wild, thereby purging any tell-tale damaged feathers. Origin o/Daunan Redstart in Scotland 365

Fig. 1. Daurian Redstart Phoemcurus auroreus, Isle of May, Scotland, 29th-30th April 1988 (K. Brockie) V~j\ The inclusion of fig. 1 in colour has been subsidised by a donation from Carl £eiss (Oberkochen) Ltd.

How to help the Records Committee Despite pressures to be more relaxed, even with Category D, the BOURC is finding it necessary to look increasingly critically at every record submitted for consideration. After identification has been satisfactorily determined, the Committee generally tries to balance the likelihood of escape against the likelihood of natural occurrence. The benefit of the doubt has usually been in favour of a wild origin, but a shift in the balance is now detectable. For the Records Committee properly to assess each record, it is important to have available as much information as possible (see Knox 1990). For all major rarities, if the bird dies, or even just loses a single feather, this should be deposited in one of the national museums and the information noted with the record submission. Photographs are always useful, particularly a series showing different views. Often, submissions are accompanied by a single copy of one of the photographer's less important 'duplicates'. Photographs, however crisp, have their own limitations. Differences in lenses and filters, film, lighting, exposure, processing and other factors lead to substantial changes in the appearance of prints or slides. This can be seen to great effect in the two photographs of the 1990 Skokholm White-throated Robin Irania gutturaiis which appeared in Betts (1990) or in illustrations of a Grey- cheeked Thrush Catharus minimus in Scilly in 1991 (Brit. Birds 85: 542-543, 568, plates 236, 239. 251 & 252). Attempting to determine tone or colour from these photographs would be impossible. Even these examples are good, however, compared with photographs received recently with a claim of a rare race, in which either the colour balance was seriously awry or the person holding the bird was very ill. Photographers are urged to include a colour standard alongside any bird being photographed. This need be no more complicated than swatches with a range of colours from a household-paint colour chart. The same standard can then be used by a photographic studio to produce prints that closely match the original. If this is not feasible, then the standard (or a slice of it) can be kept with the photograph or slide for comparison. 366 Origin of Daurian Redstart in Scotland

Descriptions of birds should be as complete as possible, even including details that might seem irrelevant. Sometimes, apparently trivial observations have enabled the Records Committee to age or sex birds after comparison with museum specimens. Behaviour should be noted, as well as the routine description of plumage. Considerable attention is paid to what is omitted from descriptions as well as what they contain. Tape-recordings are useful and, for rare birds, copies should be lodged with the British Library of Wildlife Sounds (29 Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AS). The more information that accompanies each record, the more likely it is that the BOURC assessment will be appropriate. Specimens are not required for firsts for Britain, but this makes it essential that records are documented thoroughly. Indeed, even specimens may not be beyond question: consider the infamous 'Hastings Rarities' (Nicholson & Ferguson-Lees 1962) or, more recently, the Meinertzhagen collection at the Natural History Museum (Knox in press). In the case of the 'Deadstart', the availability of the specimen was central to the record being rejected. This is not always so. Blue Rock Thrush Montkola solitarius recently moved from Category D to Category A after a specimen became available (BOURC 1993). Assessment of the record as outlined here was carried out by the members of the BOU Records Committee. The BOURC would like to thank the observers, Bob McGowan at the RMS for the loan of the skin, the Natural History Museum for access to the collections and library at Tring, Teresa Howard at die Entomology library at the NHM at South Kensington and Bernie Zonfriilo for additional information. Tim Inskipp, Peter Lansdown and Dr David Parkin commented on the manuscript.

Summary Details are given of the occurrence of a Daurian Redstart Phoenkums aworeus on the Isle of May, Fife, in 1988. The bird, which died after being caught, was identified as belonging to the more southerly race P. a. leucopterus, which is less likely to occur naturally than the nominate race. The record was not accepted as being of a genuinely wild individual by the BOURC and the reasons are reviewed. Some of the consequences if the bird had not died are discussed, along with certain aspects of record assessment.

References BEITS, M. 1990. White-throated Robin on Skokholm. Birding World 3: 208. BIRCKHEAD, H. 1937. The birds of the Sage west China Expedition. American Museum Noviiates no. 966. BROCKIE, K. 1990. The fine art of conservation. Wildlife Conservation 93 (4): 68-77. BOU. 1992. Checklist of Birds of Britain and Ireland. 6th edn. Tring. BOURC. 1991. Records Committee: fourteenth report. Ibis 133: 218-222. 1992. Records Committee: sixteenth report. Ibis 134: 211-214. 1993. Records Committee: eighteenth report. Ibis 135: 220-222. DOHERIT, P. 1992. Golden-winged Warbler: new to the Western Palcarctic. Brit. Birds 85: 595- 600. JONES, M. 1988. Daurian Redstart in Fife—a new Western Palearctic bird. Birding World 1: 162- 163. KNOX, A. 1990. Investigative ornithology. Birding Worlds. 125-127. In press. Richard Meinertzhagen—a case of fraud examined. Ibis 135 (July). NEUFEI.DT, I. A., & VIETINGHOFF-SCHEEL, E. V. 1983. Phoenkums aworeus (Pallas). In DATHE, H., & NEUFKI.DT, I. A., Atlas der Verbreitung Pakearktischer Vijgel. Part 11. NICHOLSON, E. M., & FERGUSON-LEES, I.J. 1962. The Hastings Rarities. Brit. Birds 55: 299-384. VAURIE, C. 1959. The Birds of the Palearcik Fauna. Passenformes. London. WALLACE, D. I. M. 1980. Possible future Palearctic passerine vagrants to Britain. Brit. Birds 73: 388-397. WHEELER, P. 1988. Origin of the Isle of May Daurian Redstart. Birdiiig World 1: 219.

Dr Alan G. Knox, Buckinghamshire County Museum, Tring Road, Halton, Buckinghamshire HP22 5PJ