The Cirl Bunting – an extremely rare species in northern England – was sighted in Durham on Monday, much to the surprise of local birders.

The male bird was photographed by Cameron Sharp at Barnard Castle on Monday March 18. It was very elusive, only appearing occasionally until the evening and not being seen the next day.

Before this individual, the only record of Cirl Bunting in Durham mentions a man returning more than 40 years ago.

Male Cirl Bunting at Barnard Castle (Cameron Sharp).

Northeast is rare

The Cirl Bunting is a bird native to England, where it lies at the edge of its range and is restricted to the South West. However, it has increased in recent years, coinciding with a rise in the number of over-the-limit applications in counties such as Dorset, Somerset and, in 2022, Glamorgan.

Andrew Kinghorn, Chairman of the Durham Bird Club, explains the rarity of the species in the county: “There is a previous record of a Cirl Bunting in Durham, which involved a male singing near Langley Park in October. 10. May 1980. It is still in the area. until mid-August.

“What is more surprising is that the same male definitely returned in April 1981 and this time stayed until early June. It is impossible (without telemetry or ringing data) to determine Source origin of this bird. However, there is evidence that UK-born birds move around the country, a bird first appearing in Sussex on 27 July 1975 was found about 638km north of Fife on 11 June 1976.

Debate about origins

“So while it is tempting to suggest that the species may be of continental origin, it could just as easily be a bird of the British population. Wherever it came from it is a fantastic record for Durham and I know I speak for many birders in the county in the hope that this individual will be found in the surrounding area in the coming weeks next. Next.

The last Cirl Bunting in Durham was in 1981 (Cameron Sharp).