CAPRIMULGUS RUFICOLLIS, Temm. 
Red-necked Goatsucker. 
Caprimulgus ruficollis, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 2nd edit., p. 438. 
rufitorquis, Bonn, et Vieill. Ency. Meth., Orn., part 11. p. 646. 
rufitorquatus, Vieill. Faun. Fran 9 ., tom. i. p. 142. 
torquatus, Brehm. 
An undoubted specimen of this fine Nightjar having been killed in England, it becomes necessary to give it 
a place among the Birds of Great Britain. With reference to its occurrence in this country I cannot, 
perhaps, do better than quote the brief account of it published by Mr. John Hancock in ‘The Ibis’ for 
1862, p. 39 : — “ So far back as the 6th of October, 1856, I obtained a fresh-killed specimen of this rare 
European Goatsucker, of Mr. Pape, a game-dealer of this town. It had been shot the previous day at 
Killingworth, near Newcastle. I was unable to 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 
differed slightly from an 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 C. 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. europceus, and is almost sure to be confounded with that species by the casual 
observer. Newcastle-on-Tyne, 12th Sept. 1861.” 
I concur in Mr. Hancock’s belief, that the specimen he has recorded is not the only example that has 
occurred in this country, but that others have probably been overlooked from their near resemblance to the 
common species. 
Had this species of Caprimulgus been a native of America (where it is never found) instead of Europe 
and Africa, I should have hesitated about including it in the present work ; and on this point I may quote 
some remarks in a note to myself by Mr. Alfred Newton, who is preparing a new edition of the late 
Mr. Yarrell’s ‘ History of British Birds ’: — I have been thinking about including the Caprimulgus ruficollis, 
but at present have not fully satisfied myself whether its normal range is sufficiently far to the northward 
to justify the step. This I must ascertain by consulting various Continental authorities. It certainly 
occurs in Hungary and in the South of France, but I should like to get information of its being met 
with further north before I can feel quite easy on the subject.” One thing is quite certain — namely, that 
since John Natterer killed the species in the South of Spain, and presented specimens to the Museum at 
Vienna, as recorded by Temminck in his ‘ Manual,’ and by myself in the ‘ Birds of Europe,’ individuals in 
greater or lesser numbers have been met with in the same country by many of the rising generation of 
British ornithologists, particularly by Lord Lilford, Mr. Howard Saunders, Mr. Hume, and others. 
The figure of this bird in my ‘Birds of Europe’ was taken from one of the original specimens presented 
to the Museum of Vienna, which was kindly lent to me for the purpose by the Directors. It was accom- 
panied by the following notes respecting it by my valued friend Natterer : — 
“ Caprimulgus ruficollis, male. Shot the 14th of July, 1817, some miles distant from Algezlras, in the 
oak woods, by daylight. Iris dark brown, legs reddish grey, nostrils oval, with their borders much elevated. 
Length 12 inches 8 lines, extent of the wings 224 inches, the tail exceeding the wings by 14 inch. 
“Another male was shot on the 20th of July, in the valley of the Rio del Miel, near Algeziras, flying 
very low, an hour after sunset. Length 13 inches 3 lines, extent of the wings 234 inches, the tail exceeding 
the wings by 1 inch 8 lines. 
“The female I shot, while flying near the same spot, on the 21st of July. Length 12 inches 8 lines, 
extent of the wings 224 inches, the tall exceeding the wings by 2 inches. The female closely resembles the 
male, differing only in having less white on the throat ; the white tips of the two outer tail-feathers only 
8 lines long, and tinged with brown on the outer web ; the white spots on the first three primary quills 
smaller, and tinged with ochre, and without any corresponding mark on the outer web, as in the male ; the 
remainder of the plumage is exactly the same as that of the male. 
The name of the bird in the part of Spain where it was killed is Samala. It seems to be very rare ; for 
I passed several nights in the adjacent woods without discovering any more examples.” 
