BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION
RECORDS COMMITTEE

27th Report of the BOU’s Records Committee

The BOURC’s 27th Report, covering the period from October 1999 to September 2000 inclusive, has just been published in Ibis 143: 171-175 (January 2001). A copy is attached. Some of the decisions announced in the Report have already been publicised in previous press releases. Attention is drawn to the following decisions, based on recent reviews, and not previously announced.

Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus – deleted from the British List

Bufflehead Bucephala albeola – remains in Category A of the British List

Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica – remains in Category D

Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki – remains in Category D

Palm Warbler Dendroica palmarum – deleted from Category D

The reasons for these decisions are set out in the Report.

Attention is also drawn to the list of files under consideration. Please note that subsequent to this Report going to press, a press release dated 22 December 2000 announced the addition to Category A of one new species, Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus, and two new sub-species, Black Tern Chlidonias niger surinamensis and Nightingale Luscinia megarynchos hafizi, to the British List. These decisions will be published in the BOURC’s 28th Report to appear in Ibis 144, January 2002.

The decisions published in the Report and recently announced in our press release of 22 December 2000 (see above), bring the number of species on the British List to 556, with five species (Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis, Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Short-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus griseus, Iberian Chiffchaff Phylloscopus brehmii and Lesser Redpoll Carduelis cabaret) added to Category A and the removal of one species (Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus) from the British List.

Category/Number
A 534
B 13
C 9
Total 556

The total does not include 'soft-plumaged petrel' Pterodroma mollis/P. madeira/P. feae as the birds were not identified to species level (Ibis 134: 380). The 15 species in Category D and those species in Category E do not form part of the British List.

For further information please contact:

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


For Category definitions please see below.


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