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Rare Siberian songbird killed by cat after making extraordinary journey to Britain
A Siberian rubythroat, an exceptionally rare visitor to Britain, was found dead in Brampton, Cumbria, after being caught by a domestic cat. Its appearance was extraordinary because the bird was thousands of miles from its usual migration route and had never before been recorded in the county.
The species has been recorded in the UK just 17 times between 1975 and 2022, with only two accepted records from mainland Britain. The exhausted bird weighed 28g, compared with about 75g for a healthy specimen; it will be examined by academics before being transferred to Tullie House museum in Carlisle. A bird expert urged cat owners to use bell-equipped collars to warn wildlife of approaching pets.
In short
- A rare Siberian rubythroat was found dead in Cumbria.
- It was only the third accepted mainland British record.
- Experts will examine the specimen before it goes to a museum.
Explained simply
The Siberian rubythroat is a small migratory songbird that breeds in Siberia and usually travels south to spend the winter in Asia. It is an extremely rare visitor to Britain: only 17 sightings were recorded across the UK between 1975 and 2022, including just two accepted records from mainland Britain.
Its arrival in Cumbria was unusual because the county had no previous accepted record of the species. The bird’s journey matters to researchers because rare sightings can help document where birds travel, while its death has drawn attention to the risks domestic cats can pose to wildlife.