Citril Finch video story

[Bobolink44]

Found this short video piece (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.channel&ChannelID=388226440) about the Fair Isle bird from a link from Rob Fray's blog (http://www.robfray.co.uk).

Some lucky visiting American birder found this first for Britain eh?

[Joe stockwell]

what ever next! cheers for that blog link too it made some very interesting and funny reading

[W. Ruskin Butterfield]

Well the lucky American is now living at Haa, the Laird's house running it as a Bed & breakfast.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10589142 .
W.

[Colin Key]

Thanks for the links - what an incredible story. I wonder if the Citril Finch will be classed as a "Yankee"? :laugh:

Colin :beer:

[Alex Lees]

From the latest in press BBOC (see attached)*

FÖRSCHLER, M. I., SHAW, D. N. & BAIRLEIN, F. Deuterium analysis reveals potential origin of the Fair Isle Citril Finch Carduelis citrinella

cf:

Citril Finch Carduelis citrinella (Pallas)
Add to Category A

One, adult, male, Fair Isle, Shetland, 6–11 June 2008: ringed, photographed (Birding World21: 243–249; Br. Birds103: 628–629).

Citril Finch is a resident breeder in montane areas of southern Europe and a short-range migrant that makes primarily altitudinal movements. It was not the most likely candidate for vagrancy to Britain, especially to the Northern Isles. Populations in Central Europe are in apparent decline. The longest recorded movement in BWP is 615 km, whereas the journey to Fair Isle would be at least 1500 km from the nearest breeding grounds, and 2000 km from the Pyrenees, including a long over-sea flight. BOURC investigations suggested that although the species can be kept and bred in captivity, it is an extremely uncommon cagebird in Europe (estimated 25 pairs), and that all individuals should be closed-ringed. This individual showed no indication of captivity when examined in the hand. At 14.7 g, the bird was perhaps at the top end of the weight range for the species, but its fat score of 3/8 was not abnormal. The species has some history of extralimital occurrence in southern and central Europe, and (in Category D) to Finland (in May–July 1995). The Finnish bird was with Eurasian Siskins, one of which had been ringed just north of Rome earlier in the year (Alula1: 100–102).

This species was previously on the British List on the basis of a bird caught by J. Quinton near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on 2 January 1904. Identified as Citril Finch at the time and preserved as a mount, it was shown subsequently to be a Cape Canary Serinus canicollis (Br. Birds87: 471–473).


*hope Guy doesn't mind me doing some free advertising...

[tommyart]

http://www.surfbirds.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=85&pictureid=815Found this short video piece (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.channel&ChannelID=388226440) about the Fair Isle bird from a link from Rob Fray's blog (http://www.robfray.co.uk).

Some lucky visiting American birder found this first for Britain eh?


I'm The Lucky Yank!

I post on Surfbirds all the time, it's amazing what turns up around my garden.
My wife Liz Musser made that video...
If you want to see & read my Citril Finch Story on my Blog:

http://fair-isle.blogspot.com/2011/06/june-6th-d-day-i-found-citril-finch.html

Cheers! Tommy Hyndman

Still live on Fair Isle... Still Birding... Still Learning...