A Bird New to Great Britain

Abstract

AN interesting addition to the British bird list is described by H. F. Witherby in the March issue of British Birds, namely, the first identified specimen of the western little bustard (Otis tetrax tetrax). This specimen was one of two “strange birds” shot during a partridge drive at the Wadworth estate of Yorkshire, just south of Doncaster, so far back as December 9, 1922. The shooting tenant presented the specimen to Capt. E. W. S. Foljambe, who had it preserved at Osberton, Nottingham, whence he recently sent it to London for expert study. The whereabouts of the second bird shot on that date have not been traced. The western race of the little bustard inhabits Spain, Portugal, France and north-west Africa, and differs from the eastern race in the possession of more sandy-buff colour on the upper parts and wing-coverts, in having the black markings less pronounced, and the vermiculations finer. The eastern little bustard (Otis tetrax orientalis) had previously been recorded in Great Britain, and the specimen was at first thought to belong to that race. One was shot at Addlethorpe, Lincolnshire, in November 1933, another in Kincardineshire in 1912, one near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, in January 1935 and one in Hampshire during a partridge drive in December 1935.