Press Release 22 December 2000

Changes to the British List

The following changes have been made to the British List and take effect when published in Ibis, which is expected to be in January 2002.

Add to Category A


Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus

Rosehearty, near Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, 11-24 September 1999 and, the same bird, Seal Sands area, Teesside, 29 September - 30 October 1999, some 220 miles to the south. Sight record and photographed (Birding World 12: 364-370 and 12: 385). This bird, a juvenile, was identified as being the same bird from two missing tertials on the right wing. It was not seen after 30 October and was considered to have probably died. Three populations are recognised, largely separated by range, but there is some overlap and intergrades occur. Juveniles are particularly difficult to separate racially, and after consulting Dennis Paulson in the USA (author of Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest (1993)) and researching other relevant literature, the Committee decided that on current knowledge it was not possible to ascribe this individual to any particular race. This is the first British record; there are four accepted previous Western Palearctic records including a juvenile (of indeterminate race) at Tacumshin, Co. Wexford, Ireland, from 30 September to 2 October 1985.


Black Tern Chlidonias niger surinamensis

Weston-super-Mare, Avon, 3-11 October 1999. Sight record and photographed (Birding World 12: 416-418). This is the first British record of the American race C. n. surinamensis.. The file is being passed to the Committee's Taxonomic Sub-committee to consider its taxonomic status, which will necessitate consultation with the American Ornithologists’ Union.


Nightingale Luscinia megarynchos hafizi

Fair Isle, Shetland, 30 October 1971, found dead and specimen now in the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh. Originally accepted as showing the characters of the central Asian race L. m. hafizi, the bird was later considered to belong to the africana-hafizi group but with characters closest to hafizi (British Birds 65: 341 and 73: 519). Two more recent claims of hafizi submitted to BBRC necessitated a re-examination of the Fair Isle specimen. Further information has become available on the separation of birds in the africana/hafizi group which enabled the Committee to confirm that the Fair Isle bird can in fact be determined as belonging to the race hafizi and it thus becomes the first British record of this eastern race


For further information please contact:

Tony Marr, Chairman, BOURC Tel 01 263 741 313 Email bourc.chair@bou.org.uk
Tim Melling, Secretary, BOURC Tel 01 484 861 148 Email bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
Steve Dudley, BOU Administrator Tel 01 733 390 932 Email steve.dudley@bou.org.uk


BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION
The Natural History Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1 442 890 080 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7942 6150 Email: bou@bou.org.uk
www.bou.org.uk
The British Ornithologists’ Union, founded in 1858, is one of the world’s oldest ornithological societies. The BOU’s main function is to ‘promote ornithology within the scientific and birdwatching communities’. This is achieved primarily by the BOU’s quarterly publication, Ibis, one of the world’s leading ornithological journals, which includes original research reports on the systematics, ecology, physiology, behaviour, anatomy and conservation of birds. The BOU also organises conferences, seminars, meetings and expeditions and gives a series of annual grants and awards to assist with travel and equipment associated with ornithological research projects and student sponsorship.


The British List

For over 100 years the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) has maintained a list of birds that have been recorded in Britain. This is undertaken by the BOU’s Records Committee (BOURC), which periodically publishes up-to-date checklists incorporating changes the BOURC has announced in its reports published annually in the BOU’s journal, Ibis.

In 1997, the BOURC liaised with the government’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to revise the categories used in the British List. The JNCC has adopted the list for decisions concerning to the status of birds in Britain in relation to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Responsibility for the British list lies with the BOURC. Northern Ireland has different legislation, and the list for Northern Ireland is maintained by the Northern Ireland Birdwatching Association (NIBA). The Isle of Man (which is not a legislative part of the UK) also maintains its own list which may be used by its own legislators.

Species recorded from the Republic of Ireland do not form any part of the British List.


The role of the BOURC

Records of birds new to Britain are passed to the BOURC by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) after that committee has examined them. The BOURC Secretary prepares a file summarising the record. The file also contains original descriptions and supporting documentation, including BBRC comments, correspondence from independent specialists, an analysis of the captive status of the species and its escape likelihood and extracts from books and journals referring to migration and vagrancy patterns. Records are circulated by post and require unanimous agreement on identification and at least a two-thirds majority on categorisation (see page 2). All files are archived for future reference.

The Committee also studies taxonomic advances and initiates research into this field. Information on feral populations is monitored, and reviews are undertaken of older records. Anyone can ask for old or rejected records to be reviewed by the BOURC if they provide fresh evidence to justify re-examination.

This is time-consuming work, particularly when it involves detailed research or discussions with experts, who are often based abroad.


Publication of BOURC decisions

The BOURC publishes regular reports in Ibis, the BOU’s scientific journal. As few birders regularly see Ibis, information is press-released to the main birding magazines, who also receive pre-publication copies of the Ibis reports. The magazines use some of this information as the basis for news items or articles, but much of the BOURC’s work goes unreported. BOURC members occasionally write longer papers on species reviews and decisions for publication in the birding magazines. Decisions are notified to appropriate recorders and/or the original observers.


The BOURC Commitment

The BOURC undertakes:
• To maintain the scientific accuracy and integrity of the BOU list of British birds by admitting only those species and subspecies that have been identified beyond reasonable doubt, and whose origin is considered to be in accordance with the relevant BOURC categories.

• To ensure that all the evidence for identification and the circumstances surrounding the occurrence of potential new species or subspecies are examined thoroughly, fairly and objectively, calling upon external expert opinion where appropriate.

• To ensure that any new evidence which is submitted, or which comes to light, that might affect the identification or categorisation of any existing record is reviewed thoroughly, fairly and objectively.

• To ensure that all records are dealt with as speedily as practicable, but not so that this in any way prejudices the need for thorough and comprehensive examination of the evidence.

• To attempt to answer any questions about its decisions fully and fairly, stating the reasons for these decisions.

• So far as is practicable, to consult with the observers where new evidence suggests that a record might no longer be acceptable. The views of the observers will be taken into consideration in any final decision.


For BOU news, publications, events and more, check out the BOU Website www.bou.org.uk