A genetic analysis of the first record of British Siberian Stonechat

A first-winter female Siberian Stonechat Saxicola maurus shot on the Isle of May in October 1913 was the first British record of this species, and one of the few British records that has been assigned to the nominate subspecies. DNA from the mounted specimen was analysed; it matched known specimens of nominate maurus, and was clearly genetically divergent from S. m. stejnegeri, which is morphologically very similar to maurus. 'Caspian Stonechat' S. m. variegatus, the only other subspecies of Siberian Stonechat to have reached western Europe, can be eliminated on plumage characters.