Red-necked Nightjar
Caprimulgus ruficollis Temminck, 1820 (1, 0)
Photo © By Olivença - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=72716944
STATUS
Eurasia and Africa. Polytypic.
OVERVIEW
Still the sole record after the first two decades of the 21st century.
RECORD
1). 1856 Northumberland Killingworth, male, shot, 5th October, C. r. desertorum, now at Great North Museum: Hancock, Newcastle-on-Tyne (Acc. No. NEWHM 1999. H1071).
(J. Hancock, Transactions of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club 5: 84-85; J. Hancock, Zoologist 1862: 7936-37; J. Hancock, Ibis 4: 39-40; Yarrell, 1871-85; J. T. T. Reed, Naturalist 12: 76; Bolam, 1912; BOURC (1927), Ibis 69: 312; Galloway & Meek, 1978-83; N. Cleere, British Birds 94: 393; BOURC (2006), Ibis 149: 195; T. Melling, British Birds 102: 110-115, plates 79-81).
History J. Hancock of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (1862) in the Transactions of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club, Vol. V. pp. 84-85, and in The Zoologist, 1st series, Vol. XX. pp. 7936-37, and The Ibis for 1862, Vol. IV. pp. 39-40, says: 'On the 6th of October, so far back as 1856, I obtained a fresh-killed specimen of this rare European goatsucker, of Mr. Pape, game-dealer, of this town. It was shot the previous day at Killingworth, near Newcastle. I could not determine the sex from dissection, but I think it is most probably a male, as the first primaries have each a spot upon their inner webs, and the first two spots are white.
I have delayed until now making this announcement, for I found, on comparison, that the bird in question differed slightly from a Hungarian specimen in my collection, and I was consequently anxious to see others before doing so.
I have now had an opportunity of referring to a specimen in the British Museum, and find that it quite agrees with my bird.
I have, therefore, no longer any hesitation in stating that it is the true Caprimulgus ruficollis of authors; and I have much pleasure in adding this fine species to the British list of occasional visitors, though I am far from believing that this is really its first occurrence in our island. It very closely resembles the C. europaeus, and is almost sure to be confounded with that species by the casual observer.'
Alfred Newton (1876-82 (2): 386, 4th ed.) in Yarrell's British Birds, in a footnote, says: 'Mr. Hancock recorded (Ibis, 1862, p. 39) the occurrence, October 5th, 1856, at Killingworth in Northumberland, of a Red-necked Nightjar - a South-European species, much resembling our own, but distinguishable by its larger size, its lighter grey head and rufous collar.
Other examples may possibly have visited this country, and been mistaken for those of the common species, but C. ruficollis has a range so far to the southward that its only known appearance in England, especially when the season of the occurrence is considered, seems at present not to justify its being regarded as a "British Bird".
It has not been recognised in any part of Germany, or even in central France.'
J. T. T. Reed (1886) in The Naturalist, new ser. Vol. XII. p. 76, under 'Local Specimens of Rare Birds in the Museum at Newcastle-on-Tyne', says: 'Red-necked Nightjar. Killingworth, Northumberland, shot, 5th October, 1856. Purchased off a game dealer the day after it was shot.'
Admitted nationally in the Fifth List Report as the first British record, which was of the Algerian race and not the typical one (BOURC (1927) Ibis 69: 312). Later, this record was still found acceptable and the specimen is still in the Hancock Museum (Acc. No. NEWHM 1999. H1071) (BOURC (2006), Ibis 149: 195).
Comment It was a male, thought to be of the race C. r. desertorum Erlanger.
