A paper from the British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee Britain’s first Baikal Teal Andrew H. J. Harrop and Robert Y. McGowan

ABSTRACT Evidence supporting the natural vagrancy of a Baikal Teal Anas formosa shot in Denmark in November 2005 prompted BOURC to review the British records of this species.The results of a stable-hydrogen isotope analysis (published on pp. 697–699 of this issue) of feathers from the specimen of a Baikal Teal shot at Tillingham, Essex, in January 1906 suggested that the bird had not been hatched in western Europe, and this record was duly accepted by BOURC as the first for Britain.Ten subsequent British records were examined; of these, a first-winter male at Minsmere, Suffolk, in November–December 2001, was placed in Category A of the British List.

No duck has ever struggled harder to become accepted as a wild British bird than the Baikal Teal (Wallace 1981) Introduction from elsewhere in the USA, notably California, Baikal Teals Anas formosa breed in eastern and during the late autumn and winter, the origins northeastern Siberia and winter mainly in of which have been more controversial. Japan, South Korea and China. In Asia, the The status of Baikal Teal in western Europe Baikal Teal is a vagrant to the Indian subconti- has been a matter of controversy for at least a nent and Thailand. A century ago this was one century, and has frequently divided expert of the most numerous ducks in eastern Asia, opinion. For example, Palmer (1976) referred to with flocks of thousands of birds recorded a report of breeding at Myvatn, Iceland, in 1837 (BirdLife International 2000). Hunting and following an invasion into Europe in 1836 habitat degradation are the main causes of the which brought five to France during November, severe decline in numbers that has been noted whereas Delacour (1956) considered that all during the last 50 years. Around 400,000 indi- European records involved escapes. Palmer con- viduals have regularly been found wintering in cluded that the question of whether or not par- South Korea (Moores 2002), but there have ticular records are of natural occurrence ‘can be been few recent reports of large numbers in argued endlessly’. other countries, with the exception of a flock of Such argument has indeed persisted. The 8,000–10,000 at Shanghai, China, in January paper by Wallace (1981) was driven by the iden- 2006 (Kejia & Qiang 2007). tification of a bird on Fair Isle in September Migration strategies used by this species are 1954, which was subsequently shown to have still relatively little known. In spring, birds been unsound (Eldridge & Harrop 1992). migrate northwards in March and reach the Eldridge & Harrop drew attention to inconsis- breeding grounds during April or May. They tencies in the treatment of records of Baikal leave the breeding grounds in late August or Teal in different European countries, and noted September and arrive at the wintering grounds that although the monthly distribution of Euro- in late October. Migration routes are incom- pean records is compatible with vagrancy, a pletely known, but migration is rapid and is marked increase in the number of records believed to follow different routes in spring and closely followed the importation of large autumn. Vagrancy to Alaska by juveniles in Sep- numbers of birds. Shortly afterwards, BOURC tember/October is regular and well documented revised its position on the status of British (e.g. Sladen 1966). There have also been records records.

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Prior to 1984, Baikal Teal was placed in 1954, sight record: female Category D but, following the acceptance of a • Loch Spynie, Moray & Nairn, 5th February sight record of a juvenile on Fair Isle, Shetland 1958, shot: female from 25th September to 1st October 1954, a • Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour, Dorset, sight record of an adult male at Caerlaverock, 1st January 1969, caught and ringed: male Dumfries & Galloway, from 19th February to • Abberton Reservoir, Essex, 28th November 7th April 1973, and a first-winter male, shot at 1970, sight record: male Crom, Co. Fermanagh, on 13th January 1967, • Caerlaverock, Dumfries & Galloway, 19th the species was added to Category A of the February to 7th April 1973, sight record: British and Irish Lists (BOU 1984). The signifi- male cant factors noted were changes in the species’ status in captivity, the occurrence of apparently The identification of the birds from Essex wild individuals in Scotland, and the occur- 1906 and Norfolk 1929 was accepted, but escape rence of what was believed to be a first-year risk was considered significant and the records bird in Fermanagh. were not accepted to any category (BOU 1993); However, the Irish specimen was subse- the identification of the birds in Moray & Nairn quently re-aged as an adult and no longer 1958, Dorset 1969 and Dumfries & Galloway accepted onto the main Irish List (Brazier et al. 1973 was also accepted but, as escape risk could 1986). In addition, Eldridge & Harrop (1992) not be excluded, the records were placed in called into question the identification of the Category D1. The identification of the Fair Isle record. This prompted BOURC to re- remaining records was considered to be examine ten British records: unproven or not acceptable. Fox et al. (2007) provided important new • Tillingham, Essex, 1st January 1906, evidence supporting vagrancy by Baikal Teals to shot: male western Europe, based on a record from • Winchester, Hampshire, c. 1915, shot: male Denmark of a bird shot there on 24th • Battle, Sussex, 14th November 1927, November 2005. This presented a way to help to shot: male resolve the controversy, and inspired BOURC to • Wells, Norfolk, 20th December 1929, undertake a further review of British records. shot: male • Nacton, Suffolk, 10th November 1951, The 1906 Essex bird captured: female At a meeting of the British Ornithologists’ Club • Fair Isle, 30th September to 1st October in London on 25th April 1906, Mr H. Scherren, on behalf of Mr J. E. Harting, exhibited a supposed hybrid duck, collected from the Marsh Farm Decoy, near Maldon, in January 1906. It was shown, however, to be an immature male Baikal Teal, acquiring adult plumage, ‘and had, no doubt, escaped from some orna- mental water’ (Harting 1906). The

Andrew Harrop Andrew record was also 444. Marshhouse Decoy Pond, Essex, August 2009, much as described by Payne- mentioned by Gallwey (1886): ‘at a distance looks like a clump of trees upon the marsh. It is not Hubbard (1907). a large pool, but is very secluded and well concealed by reeds and brushwood.’ Glegg (1929) gave The site of the decoy is still discernible, and has been declared an Ancient Monument, though most of the pond is now overgrown. the date as 1st

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January 1906 and stated that the speci- men was in Chelms- ford Museum, where it remains today (accession number CHMER E9108), although it is in a particularly fragile condition. Renewed interest and research into this record suggested that the contempo- rary view that it was an escape was based on unfounded assumptions. We know that the first Baikal Teals record- Museum © Chelmsford Walentowicz Tony 445. The 1906 Essex Baikal Teal Anas formosa. The retained juvenile primaries and ed in captivity in primary coverts of this bird have very low hydrogen-isotope values consistent with an Britain were kept by origin in Siberia (Votier et al. 2009). the Zoological Society between 1840 (breeding until 1843) and tures between juvenile and post-juvenile 1847 (when they died). Two pairs were acquired feathers. The results of the analysis therefore in 1867, and 20 were kept between 1889 and confirmed what had been suggested by existing 1898. In 1894, a pair raised four young in records of captive breeding in Europe, namely Northumberland (Laidlay 1933). We know that the 1906 Essex bird had probably not about this in some detail because it was suffi- hatched in western Europe. Its plumage ciently unusual to merit discussion. Elsewhere accorded with the natural moult cycle of this in Europe, the only known breeding until rela- species, and excluded the possibility that it had tively recently took place in Holland (1872–73) been shot in Asia during the autumn then and France (1880). The 1906 Essex bird hatched shipped to Europe. For these reasons, BOURC in 1905, a year for which we have no record of accepted it as the first for Britain (BOURC in captive breeding; note also that in 1972, Mike press). England (in litt.) stated that he knew of only three successful breeding attempts in Britain Status in captivity during the twentieth century, all of which One of the past (and continuing) problems for hatched females. It also preceded the first large those assessing records of Baikal Teal is its pop- wave of importations mentioned by Delacour ularity in collections, both in Europe and in the (1956) by two years (see ‘Status in captivity’). USA, especially since the second decade of the The only precisely dated European records twentieth century. At that time (from 1908 which pre-date this are as follows: five in France in November 1836; a male in Table 1. Baikal Teals reported in captivity in the Netherlands Italy on 27th December 1881; and a and UK, based on figures in van der Laar et al. (1994) and female in Belgium on 21st November (unpublished) Captive Waterfowl Census Reports compiled by B. Hughes; it should be noted that the Dutch figures represent 1888. data supplied by about one-third of keepers, while those from The 1906 Essex specimen was the UK are based on figures from about two-thirds of keepers. loaned to National Museums of Scot- land, Edinburgh, to be analysed. The Nos. of adult and No. of adult Nos. of adult and results of the analysis are more fully (young) birds in birds in the (young) birds in the Netherlands UK in 1990 the UK in 2001 discussed by Votier et al. (2009) (pp. in 1991 697–699), who found marked differ- ences in stable-hydrogen isotope signa- 524 (1,029) 160 277 (100)

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according to Delacour 1956) they were being birds which had arrived naturally during a pre- imported into Europe by the thousand, and vious season and remained in Europe prior to during the next 30 years they were the easiest being collected (behaviour which has been and cheapest teal to acquire. In 1914, so many recorded in some vagrant Nearctic wildfowl, for were brought to San Francisco that they could example). In these circumstances, BOURC not be disposed of (Palmer 1976). In the remained cautious about automatically Netherlands, for example, records of 12 in 1922, accepting records after the first as wild. In addi- three in 1923, and five in 1925 were presumed tion to those records listed above, BOURC con- to involve escapes (e.g. Kist 1957). Today this sidered a record from Minsmere, Suffolk, from species is commonly kept in collections 18th November to 29th December 2001 (Brit. throughout the world. Birds are offered for sale Birds 95: 524) as part of this review. for as little as £250/pair in the UK and Of the ten records considered by BBRC sub- $300/pair in the USA. sequent to the 1906 Essex bird, the identifica- tion of the birds occurring in Hampshire in c. Subsequent records 1915, Sussex 1927, Fair Isle 1954 and Essex 1970 Despite the recent progress made in establishing was not established. Of the remainder, those vagrancy to western Europe by Baikal Teals, the from Norfolk in 1929, Suffolk 1951 and Dum- relatively high numbers in captivity make fries & Galloway 1973 presented different prob- assessment of individual records an ongoing lems about their provenance. The Norfolk and problem. Analysis of feathers from the 1967 Suffolk birds both followed records of escapes Irish bird showed little difference in signature in the Netherlands. The Norfolk specimen is between feathers moulted during the breeding extant (specimen no. 27-930 in Norwich season and those moulted subsequently (Steve Museum) so it should be possible to arrange for Votier in litt.). Adult Baikal Teals normally it to be analysed, though the results might be moult their primaries near the breeding inconclusive because it was an adult. The grounds, so would be expected to show a Suffolk bird has a curious history: after being similar isotopic signature to juveniles if records captured in Nacton Decoy on 10th November in western Europe were the result of direct 1951, it was taken into captivity in aviaries at vagrancy; however, this would not apply to Ipswich and Hartest for three years before being Andrew Harrop © Harrison Harrop MuseumAndrew © Harrison Harrop Museum Andrew 446 & 447. The 1958 Moray & Nairn Baikal Teal Anas formosa. Harrison (1958) found a ‘bridle’ present in approximately 15% of female Baikal Teals,but it is not normally as strongly marked as on this individual.

694 British Birds 102 • December 2009 • 691–696 Britain’s first Baikal Teal loaned to the Wildfowl Trust (Piotrowski 2003); accompanied a large flock of Eurasian Teals A. a specimen in the Harrison Museum (H2M. 5. crecca, of which over 2,000 had been counted at 10374) labelled ‘1959 Nov, female caught in Minsmere during the October WeBS count. Nacton Decoy, ex W.H. Payn collection’ is prob- Wolf (1966) noted that Eurasian Teals which ably this bird, but as it was kept in captivity for pass through the Netherlands in November and several years it will have a western European December come from the eastern part of the isotope signature, which makes analysis redun- breeding range; the November arrival of the dant. The behaviour of the bird in Dumfries & Minsmere bird therefore accorded with arrivals Galloway (eating goose droppings in preference of eastern populations of a potential carrier to grain, which is a trait of some captive wild- species, and quite closely matched the date of fowl, as noted by Eldridge & Harrop 1992) the 2005 Danish record. Its feeding behaviour invited doubt about its origin. was normal, and included foraging among The records from Moray & Nairn in 1958, fallen reeds along the bank of a lagoon; on at Dorset 1969, and Suffolk 2001 did not present least two occasions it was seen to fly off at dusk specific problems over and above those related towards the Minsmere and Sizewell Levels with to large numbers in captivity, and therefore Eurasian Teal, presumably to feed. The Com- seemed more credible. However, in light of the mittee was satisfied that there were no obstacles results of an analysis of the 1967 Irish bird, the to the acceptance of this record, and accord- Committee was reluctant to accept the first two ingly it was accepted onto Category A of the of these as wild without more information. The British List (BOURC in press). Moray & Nairn specimen was documented by In addition to the British specimens listed, Harrison (1958); it is extant in the Harrison there is a specimen record of an immature male Museum (H2M 2. 10371) and ideally should be Baikal Teal collected in the Netherlands on 29th analysed, though as with the Norfolk 1929 bird November 1948 (van den Berg & Bosman 2001) its age may compromise the results. The Dorset which might yield interesting results if analysed. bird was an adult male seen only in the hand; if Acknowledgments analysis of specimen records proves vagrancy by Dr Tony Walentowicz, Chelmsford Museum, kindly this species on multiple occasions, this record facilitated tissue sampling of the Essex specimen; George has as good a case as many for being treated as Gordon, Angela Ross (Ulster Museum) and Neville McKee referring to a wild bird. facilitated tissue sampling of the Fermanagh specimen; The Suffolk record involved an immature David Harrison provided access to the specimens held in the Harrison Museum; Brian Small provided additional male in a plumage that, by the end of its stay, information about the 2001 Suffolk bird; and BOURC was quite similar to that of the 1906 Essex bird. Ageing Baikal Teals in the field in autumn is difficult (e.g. Eldridge & Harrop 1992, Jackson 1992) but, on the basis of the bird’s moult strategy (later than normal for adult males) and the shape and pattern of the scapulars (not as pointed as in adults, and with neat, dark /Birdwatch brown centres, and pale inner and brown outer edges), Young Steve it was aged as a first- 448. First-winter male Baikal Teal Anas formosa, with Eurasian Teals A. crecca, Minsmere, Suffolk, November 2001; now accepted into Category A winter male. It of the British List (BOURC in press).

British Birds 102 • December 2009 • 691–696 695 Britain’s first Baikal Teal members have commented extensively during several Jackson, G. D. 1992. Field identification of teal in North circulations of the files on this species. America – Part II. Birding 24: 214–223. Kejia, Z., & Qiang, M. 2007. Large flock of Baikal Teal found References in Chongming Dongtan wetland, Shanghai, China. BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Birding ASIA 8: 78–79. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, and BirdLife International, Kist, J. 1957. Nog eens de Siberische Taling. Limosa 30: Cambridge. 191–193. Brazier, H., Dowdall, J. F., Fitzharris, J. E., & Grace, K. 1986. Laidlay, J. C. 1933. The Care and Propagation of Ornamental Thirty-third Irish Bird Report, 1985. Irish Birds 3: Waterfowl. McLagan & Cumming, Edinburgh. 287–336. Moores, N. 2002.Wetlands – Korea’s most-threatened British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU). 1984. Records habitat. OBC Bulletin 36: 54. Committee: 11th Report (December 1983). Ibis 126: Palmer, R. S. (ed.) 1976. Handbook of North American Birds. 440–444. Vol. 2.Yale University Press, New Haven & London. — 1993. Records Committee: 19th Report (May 1993). Payne-Gallwey, R. 1886. The Book of Duck Decoys: their Ibis 135: 493–499. construction, management and history. Van Voorst, — In press. Records Committee: 38th Report (October London. 2009). Ibis 152. Piotrowski, S. 2003. The Birds of Suffolk. Christopher Helm, Delacour, J. 1956. The Waterfowl of the World. Vol. 2. London. Country Life, London. Sladen,W. J. L. 1966. Additions to the avifauna of the Eldridge, M., & Harrop, A. 1992. Identification and status of Pribilof Islands, Alaska, including five species new to Baikal Teal. Birding World 5: 417–423. North America. Auk 83: 130–135. Fox, A. D., Christensen,T. K., Bearhop, S., & Newton, J. van den Berg, A. B., & Bosman, C. A.W. 2001. Rare Birds of 2007. Using stable isotope analysis of multiple feather the Netherlands. Pica Press, Robertsbridge. tracts to identify moulting provenance of vagrant birds: van der Laar, B., Maas, P.A.,Vossen, P., & van den Berg, A. B. a case study of Baikal Teal Anas formosa in Denmark. 1994. Geese and ducks in captivity in the Netherlands Ibis 149: 622–625. in 1991. Dutch Birding 16: 148–154. Glegg,W. E. 1929. A History of the Birds of Essex.Witherby, Votier, S. C., Bowen, G. J., & Newton, J. 2009. Stable- London. hydrogen isotope analyses suggest natural vagrancy of Harrison, J. M. 1958.The Baikal Teal in the British Isles: Baikal Teal to Britain. Brit. Birds 102: 697–699. a new record and a note on the incidence of the Wallace, D. I. M. 1981. Baikal Teal: new to Britain and ‘bridled’ face pattern. Bull. BOC 78: 105–107. Ireland. Brit. Birds 74: 321–326. Harting, J. E. 1906. On a supposed hybrid duck from near Wolf,W. J. 1966. Migration of Teal ringed in the Maldon, Essex [Nettion formosum]. Bull. BOC 16: 80–81. Netherlands. Ardea 54: 230–270. Hubbard, R. 1907. Ornamental Waterfowl. W. H. Robinson, Walsall. Andrew H. J. Harrop, 30 Dean Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6AF; e-mail [email protected] Robert Y. McGowan, National Museums of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF

Looking back

One hundred years ago: ‘YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER IN LINCOLN- RECOVERY OF MARKED BIRDS. COMMON TERN SHIRE. ON October 12th I shot a Yellow-browed (Sterna fluviatilis).—B.B., No. 4308, marked by Warbler (Phylloscopus superciliosus) at North Cotes. Messrs. Robinson and Smalley at Ravenglass, Cum- It was a very fine example and proved to be a male. berland, on July 30th, 1909, as a nestling. Recovered at There was very little migration in progress, only a few Espifia, in Galicia, Spain, on September 21st, 1909. Thrushes, Rock-Pipits, and Grey Crows coming in. This bird was caught by a boy, and was kept alive for A fresh south wind was blowing and there had been a two days. The capture was heard of by a coastguard gale from the same quarter on the previous day. G. H. named Inocente Dieguez, who reported the matter to CATON HAIGH.’ (Brit. Birds 3: 224, December 1909) the British Vice-Consul at Corcubion, who in turn reported it to Mr. Thomas Guyatt, the acting British ‘PUFFINS IN SURREY. A PUFFIN (Fratercula arctica) Consul at Corufia. I am deeply indebted to Sir settled in our garden on the south side of Banstead Edward Grey for drawing my attention to this case, Parish, Surrey, on November 1st, 1909, and as it was and to Mr. Guyatt for very kindly undertaking the unable to rise, I caught it without difficulty. It is now strictest enquiries with regard to the matter, and in the Diving Birds’ House at the Zoological Gardens. returning me the ring with full particulars of the CLEMENCE M. ACLAND.’ (Brit. Birds 3: 231, December capture of the bird. H. F. W.’ (Brit. Birds 3: 224, 1909) December 1909)

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