July 17, 2008
Great Blue Heron admitted to the British List
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias to Category A of the British List following the record of a juvenile on 7 December 2007 on St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly (sight record, photographed).
The Great Blue Heron (herodias group) has a widespread breeding range in North America, from southeast Alaska, northern British Columbia, the central Canadian prairies, southern Ontario, southern Quebec, and the Canadian maritime provinces except Newfoundland, south to Florida, Texas, Baja California, and Central America at least to Belize and Guatemala. Its winter range extends from the Pacific coast south of 61°N through Central America, and mostly south of Canada and midwest United States. It includes the islands and coasts of the Caribbean south to Colombia.
Great Blue Heron, Isles of Scilly, St Mary's, December 2007
© Martin Goodey, from the surfbirds galleries
Various taxonomic arrangements have been proposed, but a single subspecies (herodias) is recognised for most of continental North America, with the exception of the northwest (fannini) and Florida (occidentalis).
Great Blue Heron should be placed after Grey Heron Ardea cinerea on the British List as follows:
Great Blue Heron A
Ardea herodias Linnaeus
One record: juvenile, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly, 7 December 2007.
V race undetermined but probably herodias Linnaeus.
There are two previous records of Great Blue Herons which reached British waters after being fed whilst aboard ship: one which was transported to Avonmouth in November 1968 and another which died within 150 miles of the Isles of Scilly in May 1982. Although ship-assisted vagrancy is a complication when considering records of this species, there have now been records from France, the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Azores (about 23 records) which suggest that unassisted vagrants do reach the Western Palearctic.
There was no reason to believe that the 2007 Scilly bird had been aboard ship, and the prevailing weather conditions (a near-continuous southwesterly airflow across the Atlantic created by two low pressure systems) were considered to support the case for unassisted vagrancy. Accordingly, Great Blue Heron joins three other Nearctic heron species, Snowy Egret, Green Heron and American Bittern, on Category A of the British List.
Bob McGowan, Chairman of BOURC, commented “This was one of the more straightforward assessments for a potential addition to Category A in the last few years, not least due to the very high standard of the submission documentation that included good quality images. Identification of a juvenile Great Blue Heron was easily established. There was no evidence to suggest the bird had benefited from assisted passage or any evidence of possible escape risk in Europe. Equally, the age of the bird, the date, weather and locality were convincing for genuine vagrancy. Without biometrics, a definitive statement on racial identity was impossible, though the Committee recognised that nominate herodias is the most likely on the basis of distribution and migratory behaviour. Following a speedy electronic circulation, Great Blue Heron was unanimously accepted to Category A”.
Adam Rowlands, Chairman of BBRC, commented “The identification of Great Blue Heron in a vagrant context has been well-covered (Birding World 11: 12-20). The occurrence of this species in the UK has long been anticipated, but it is still a considerable credit to the bird’s finder that he had an active search-image for this species and was able to confirm the identification and spread the news very quickly. Despite being a one-day occurrence, the finder also submitted excellent documentation in support of the claim, which made the assessment of the identification straightforward for BBRC”.
The British List stands at 580 species
(Category A = 560; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:36 AM | Comments (0)
June 19, 2008
Hooded Merganser admitted to the British list
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus to Category A of the British List following a review of the occurrence of a female or immature at Oban Trumisgarry, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, from 23 October until 1 November 2000 (sight record, photographed).
Hooded Merganser has an extensive breeding range throughout wooded areas of the east and Pacific Northwest of North America. Its primary winter range includes the south-eastern United States for eastern birds and the Pacific coast north of California for western birds. In addition to records from the Azores, there are three accepted records (of four individuals) from Ireland, and there have been records of apparent vagrants from Iceland and the Canary Islands.
This species was formerly on Category B of the British List (on the basis of a record from the Menai Straits, Gwynedd, 1830-31), but was moved to Category E following a review in 1999. In 2001, following assessment of the 2000 Outer Hebrides record, Hooded Merganser was placed in Category D (BOURC 28th Report; Ibis 144: 181-184). There was considerable support for the record, but also caution about reinstating it on the British List given the very large numbers in captivity and the relatively large number of previous and contemporary records of escapes. The difficulties in assessing records of this species are illustrated by the fact that escaped Hooded Mergansers were recorded in both Sussex and Anglesey during October 2000.
Hooded Merganser, Shetland, Haroldswick April 2006 © Mike Pennington,
from the surfbirds galleries. Not the first but a likely vagrant in any case.
Since then, an emerging pattern of vagrancy to the Western Palearctic (especially the Azores, where there have been four records since 2001) combined with some evidence of an increase in numbers counted during Christmas Bird Counts in the United States (www.audubon.org/bird/cbc), has strengthened the confidence of the committee that the Outer Hebrides record involved a wild vagrant. The committee remains of the opinion, however, that most records in Britain and Europe involve birds of captive origin.
The Outer Hebrides bird occurred during a month of active Atlantic depressions which brought 13 American Wigeons Anas americana, three Ring-necked Ducks Aythya collaris, three Lesser Scaups Aythya affinis and an inland Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata amongst other vagrants from the Nearctic.
Hooded Merganser should be placed after Smew Mergellus albellus on the British List as follows:
Hooded Merganser A
Lophodytes cucullatus (Linnaeus)
One record: Immature or female, Oban Trumisgarry, North Uist, Outer Hebrides, from 23 October until 1 November 2000.
V monotypic.
Bob McGowan, Chairman of BOURC, commented “Hooded Merganser has had a particularly troubled route through various categories of the British List, but this only emphasises the complexities in assessing genuine vagrancy in waterfowl, particularly with species which exhibit moderate to high escape potential. For example, the National Waterfowl Census revealed that 206 Hooded Mergansers were hatched in Britain in 2001 so caution was justifiable. Since 2000, documented occurrences in the Azores, the Canaries and Iceland, as well as from Newbiggin in 2002 (British Birds 96: 606) and Shetland in 2006 (British Birds 100: 752), have demonstrated a tendency of increasing natural vagrancy, probably a consequence of the species’ better fortune in North America. Largely as a result of this evidence, BOURC voted unanimously to admit Hooded Merganser to Category A of the British List.”
The British List stands at 579 species
(Category A = 559; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:21 PM | Comments (0)
December 5, 2007
BOURC taxonomic changes - better news for gull enthusiasts
The latest (fourth) report of the Taxonomic Sub-committee of the BOU Records Committee has finally recognised American Herring Gull and Caspian Gull at the species level.
The report states:
"We recommend recognition of the following species to better reflect recent advances in knowledge of the evolution and systematics of large gulls:
• Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans (monotypic)
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus (polytypic, including fuscus, intermedius, graellsii, heuglini, taimyrensis, barabensis)
• American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus (polytypic, including smithsonianus, vegae, mongolicus)
• Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis (polytypic, including michahellis, atlantis)
• Armenian Gull Larus armenicus (monotypic)
• Herring Gull Larus argentatus (polytypic, including argentatus, argenteus)"
Caspian Gull, Derbyshire © Steve Mann, from the surfbirds galleries
GEORGE SANGSTER, J. MARTIN COLLINSON, ALAN G. KNOX, DAVID T. PARKIN, LARS SVENSSON (2007) Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fourth report Ibis 149 (4), 853–857.
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:13 PM | Comments (0)
November 4, 2007
Olive-tree Warbler admitted to Category A of the British List
First-winter, Boddam, Shetland, 16 August 2006
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has accepted the record of a first-winter Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum at Boddam, Shetland on 16 August 2006, as the first British record.
The bird was originally identified in the field as Icterine Warbler H. icterina and then Eastern Olivaceous Warbler H. pallida, but was finally identified from the excellent series of photographs taken by Hugh Harrop (Birding World 19: 378-387).
For an image of this bird click here
This record was unanimously accepted onto Category A of the British List following a single circulation.
There are two previous claims of this species, from Isles of Scilly in September 1972 and St Kilda in August 1999 which were rejected on the basis of inadequate documentation.
Olive-tree Warbler is the sister species of Upcher’s Warbler H. languida, this sister-species pair is fairly closely related to the sister-species pair formed by Melodious Warbler H polyglotta and Icterine Warbler.
The species breeds, mostly near coasts, from Croatia south to Greece and from extreme south-eastern Romania and eastern Bulgaria south to western and southern Turkey, also N Israel. It departs from its breeding grounds mid-Jul to early September, main passage occurs through Israel mid-July to mid-August; and passage noted through eastern Africa October-December, reaching South Africa in December.
This species is not known in captivity.
The date of the record fits both the species’ normal autumn migration period and the arrival dates of some other species from south-east Europe. Remarkably, it was found in the same garden as Britain's first Rüppell's Warbler Sylvia rueppelli (August 1977).
Bob McGowan, Chairman of BOURC, commented “It was not surprising, given the rather brief views of the bird, that field identification was not straightforward. Clearly a Hippolais sp., initial indications towards Icterine Warbler were overturned in favour of Eastern Olivaceous. Subsequent detailed examination of photographs, however, indicated it was a first-winter Olive-tree Warbler and this was accepted by BBRC and BOURC. It seems that the identification of vagrant Hippolais warblers in Britain has suddenly got more complicated.”
Olive-tree Warbler should be inserted after Sykes's Warbler H. rama on the British List as follows.
Olive-tree Warbler A
Hippolais olivetorum (Strickland)
One record: First-winter, Boddam, Shetland, 16 August 2006.
V monotypic.
The British List stands at 576 species
(Category A = 556; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:38 PM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2007
Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fourth report
Highlights include taxonomy of the gulls. "Phylogenetic evidence based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences indicates that the large white-headed gull complex consists of two main clades: (1) an ‘Atlantic’ clade consisting of Yellow-legged Gull, Armenian Gull, most individuals of Herring Gull, and including Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus and Palearctic individuals of Glaucous Gull L. hyperboreus; (2) an ‘Aralo-Caspian’ clade consisting of L. a. cachinnans, L. a. barabensis, L. a. heuglini, L. a. taimyrensis, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus, Kelp Gull L. dominicanus, some individuals of L. a. argentatus, and including an ‘Arctic/Pacific’ grouping of L. a. vegae, L. a. smithsonianus, L. a. mongolicus, Slaty-backed Gull L. schistisagus, Iceland Gull L. glaucoides, Glaucous-winged Gull L. glaucescens and Nearctic individuals of Glaucous Gull (Crochet et al. 2002. Auk 119: 603–620; Crochet et al. 2003. Evolution 57: 2865–2878; Liebers et al. 2004. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 271: 893–901). Western Gull L. occidentalis is not included in these clades and forms an outgroup."
Click Here for Full Article2007.00758.x
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:28 AM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2007
British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee: 35th Report
This report covers the period October 2006 to April 2007. The 34th Report appeared in Ibis 149: 194–197.
Changes to the British List
The following changes have been made.
Western Sandpiper Calidris mauri (Cabanis)
One, adult, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, 19 August 1969; sight record, photographed (British Birds 63: 277, 71: 500, 78: 546) becomes the first British record, following rejection of the occurrence of one at Fair Isle, Shetland, 28 May to 3 June 1956 (trapped) as identification was no longer considered safe (British Birds 98: 356–364).
Spotted Sandpiper Actitis macularius (Linnaeus)
The rejection of the record from North Yorkshire, Whitby, 29 March 1849 as a ‘Tadcaster rarity’ led to a reassessment of subsequent records to establish the first acceptable British record. The first record is now Cornwall, Loe Bar, near Helston, 14 June 1924 (British Birds 18: 167). Records rejected through insufficient documentation are Fiddler's Ferry, Cheshire (1863), Sheerness, Kent (1863), two, Eastbourne, East Sussex (1866), Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire (c. 1899) and Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex (1908).
Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix (Pallas)
Add to Category A. Juvenile, Dawlish, Devon, 7–14 November 2006 (sight record, photographed). Birding World 19: 457–464.
Monotypic. Breeds eastern Asia from Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin Island, southern Kurile Islands to Hokkaido and east coast of Kamchatka. Winters mainly in southern part of breeding range and around coasts of Japan.
Long-billed Murrelet, Devon, copyright Paul Bowyer
Chestnut-eared Bunting Emberiza fucata fucata Pallas
Add to Category A. First-winter, probable male, Fair Isle, Shetland, 15–20 October 2004 (sight record, photographed, trapped) (Birding World 17: 415–419).
Polytypic. Breeds from Japan through Korean Peninsula, China, Himalayas, Nepal, Kashmir and Pakistan. Winters from southern Japan, through China to Thailand.
Chestnut-eared Bunting, Fair Isle, copyright Adrian Webb
British List totals
With the addition of Long-billed Murrelet and Chestnut-eared Bunting to Category A, the British List now stands at 574 species. Species in Category D and E form no part of the British List.
Category Total
A 554
B 10
C 10
Total 574
The following have also been considered.
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava
As part of a review of Yellow Wagtail taxa, the Kent 1908 record of putative White-headed Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava leucocephala was re-examined. This breeding record from Wittersham, Kent, June 1908 was reviewed by the BOU List Committee in 1949 as M. f. beema together with five other specimen records of beema. All six were considered to be M. f. flava (Ibis 1950: 140, BOU Checklist 4th edn, 1952), though leucocephala remained in the 5th Checklist (1971), 6th Checklist (1992) and 7th Checklist (2006) on the basis of the Kent record.
It was confirmed that this record was unacceptable and leucocephala is therefore removed from the British List.
Category F Sub-committee
The inaugural meeting of the Category F Sub-committee (CFSC) was held at The Natural History Museum, Tring, on 18 January 2007 and attended by R.Y. McGowan (BOURC Chairman) and S.P. Dudley (BOU Senior Administrator), Dr J. Cooper (Natural History Museum), Dr J. Stewart (University College London) and Dr D. Yalden (University of Manchester); Professor T. O’Connor (University of York) is also a member of the Sub-committee.
The role of the CFSC and the establishment of Category F will complement the existing categories of the British List by providing a historical record of the occurrence of bird species in Britain from 1800 ad back to 700 000 bp. Category F definitions were discussed and subcategory time periods agreed as follows:
F1 – Records of bird species recorded between c. 18 000 bp (before present) to 1800
F1.1 1500–1800 Post Medieval
F1.2 1100–1500 Medieval
F1.3 400–1100 Anglo-Norman
F1.4 0–400 Roman
F1.5 c. 3500 bp – 0 Iron Age
F1.6 c. 4500 – c. 3500 bp Bronze Age
F1.7 c. 6000 – c. 4500 bp Neolithic
F1.8 c. 11 000 – c. 6000 bp Mesolithic
F1.9 c. 18 000 – c. 11 000 bp Late Glacial
F2 – Records of bird species recorded earlier than 16 000 bp, back to c. 700 000 bp
F3 – Specimens or records of uncertain species or date
Each of the above can be further subdivided to denote (a) fossil or bone specimen and (b) documentary only records, e.g.
F1.1a = A fossil or bone specimen record from between 16 000 bp and 1800 ad
F1.1b = A documentary-only record from between 16 000 bp and 1800 ad
It was agreed that fossil and bone specimen records should be differentiated, as should references in the literature not supported by a fossil or bone specimens (i.e. documentary only).
The Sub-committee has a huge task with an already known expanse of records and data to consider for many species. The Sub-committee will summarize its recommendations for Category F in their own reports published in Ibis. The Records Committee will then consider these for formal acceptance for the British List.
Correction to British Sea Limits
Following legislative changes (Law of the Sea Convention) that were recently drawn to the Committee's attention, the British Sea Limits have been redefined, necessitating an alteration to the figure shown in the British List (Ibis 148: 527). The correct limit west of Rockall is a line 200 miles west of St Kilda. The sea area boundaries of Sole, Fitzroy (formerly Finisterre), Plymouth and Biscay have also been redrawn following changes made to these.
English names of British birds
The BOU has for many years followed the preliminary recommendations of the International Ornithological Congress (IOC) in its use of standardized (international use) English names of species on the British List. It was accepted that, once the IOC had published its definitive list, the BOU would review its use of English bird names.
With the publication last year of the IOC's recommendations in Birds of the World: Recommended English Names (Gill & Wright, 2006, A&C Black) BOU Committees and Council initiated a review of the use of standardized English names across all BOU activities (The British List, Ibis, publications, etc.). The review concluded that the BOU would adopt the Gill & Wright English names, as recommended by BOURC, with the following provisions:
(1) In respect of The British List and publications relating to the List, the BOU will always use both the vernacular English name familiar to British birdwatchers alongside the Gill & Wright standard (international-use) English name. This is a policy we have used for the last two editions of the List (see BOU 2006 The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (7th edition). Ibis 148: 526–563, http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2006.00603.x)
(2) Following existing BOU policy, for all BOU publications, the BOU will differ from Gill & Wright in not using a capitalized letter for a name following a hyphen, e.g. the BOU will use Hawk-owl and not Hawk-Owl.
In respect of The British List this takes immediate effect (see http://www.bou.org.uk). Implementation by Ibis and other BOU publications will take place in due course.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:09 AM | Comments (0)
June 12, 2007
Long-billed Murrelet admitted to The British List
Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix
Dawlish Warren and Dawlish Town, Devon
7–14 November 2006
Admitted to Category A of the British List
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has accepted the record of a Long-billed Murrelet Brachyramphus perdix seen off Dawlish Warren, Devon, on 7 November 2006, and off Dawlish town from 11–14 November (Birding World 19: 457-464), as the first British record.
Long-billed Murrelet © Simon Knight
Long-billed Murrelet is a small auk from the North Pacific. It closely resembles Marbled Murrelet Brachyramphus marmoratus of which it was considered a subspecies until only recently (Friesen et al. (1966) Condor 98: 681-690 & AOU (1998) Checklist of North American Birds (7th Edn.).
The species is found from the Sea of Okhotsk to Kamchatka with most birds wintering in seas around Japan south to South Korea.
This is the second European and Western Palearctic record, the first being one found dead in a fishing net in Lake Zurich, Switzerland between 15-18 December 1997. The Dawlish bird was quickly followed by the third European record from Romania on 21-23 December 2006.
Bob McGowan, Chairman of BOURC, commented “Once correctly identified, the Long-billed Murrelet at Dawlish resulted in one of the most significant birding events of 2006. A generally unpredicted species for Britain, this North Pacific auk was observed in the same county as the Ancient Murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus that appeared in the early 1990s. It is indicative of the vagrancy potential of both species that Long-billed and Ancient are casual visitors to interior North America. It is noteworthy that the only British records of these Pacific alcids have occurred in Devon, though the later Romanian occurrence perhaps lends support to the Arctic route proposed by Maumary & Knaus (British Birds 93: 190-199).
Long-billed Murrelet remains a particularly poorly known species and detailed information on its breeding biology is scant. Nests are believed to be mainly platforms of lichens in old-growth forest and some parts of this habitat across its range are threatened by logging interests and oil exploration. It is on the IUCN Red List of near-threatened species.
A comment must be made on the superb quality of many of the images of this bird; these were considered to be among the best ever taken of any rarity and their availability greatly assisted the Committee’s deliberations.”
As there was no ground to doubt the birds wild origins, the Committee agreed to accept this to Category A of the British List.
The British List stands at 574 species
(Category A = 554; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:27 AM | Comments (0)
December 7, 2006
Chestnut-eared Bunting, Fair Isle, Shetland, October 2004 accepted as the first British record.
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has accepted the record of a Chestnut-eared Bunting Emeriza fucata (of the nominate subspecies fucata) seen on Fair Isle, Shetland, on 15 – 20 October 2004 as the first British record.
Chestnut-eared Bunting, copyright Adrian Webb
The species has a patchy breeding range from Japan in the east, west through the Korean peninsula, southern and central China, the western Himalayas, Nepal, Kashmir and Pakistan. The nominate migratory subspecies fucata has a breeding distribution that is wholly east of Lake Baikal. Some of the known populations of nominate fucata, in the lower Yangtze and Fujian regions of China, are within the range of other vagrants known to occur in Britain. However, only a handful of vagrant species have breeding distributions that are wholly east of Lake Baikal.
Given the restricted and far eastern distribution, Chestnut-eared Bunting would appear to be an unlikely vagrant to Britain, although its range does overlap the ranges of known vagrant species. It is not currently known in captive bird trade (but there is some evidence that it has been previously traded). In addition, the outbreak of Avian Influenza in the Far East in 2004 curtailed legitimate trade of captive birds between the Far East and Europe. These bans were in place during autumn 2004 and would reduce the risk of captive origin even more (although a man was caught smuggling two Crested Hawk-eagles (infected with Avian Influenza) into Europe from Thailand at this time, indicating that illegal trade in wild birds continued throughout the ban).
The age of this individual, the date, the location and associated eastern vagrants are all supportive of natural vagrancy. The support cast of eastern vagrants included another first for Britain (and the Western Palaearctic), Rufous-tailed Robin, which was also found on Fair Isle later that week on 23 October, and also coincided with an Eastern Crowned Warbler in Finland. All three species are from the far Eastern Palearctic.
Bob McGowan, Chairman of BOURC, commented “However unlikely it might have seemed to some, the credentials for natural vagrancy of the Fair Isle record were solidly based. As a trapped bird, the biometrics and plumage characters established it as an individual from the migratory population, nominate fucata. Its age also conformed to the usual pattern of first winter eastern vagrants, although it was not possible to ascertain the sex of the bird. The Committee analysed in considerable detail the migration timings, routes and distances of the species and this showed that a mid-October arrival date at Fair Isle was plausible for a vagrant Chestnut-eared Bunting. Certainly the support cast of other eastern vagrants, and in particular the Rufous-tailed Robin, virtually coincident at Fair Isle, was considered highly significant.â€
As there was no strong ground for doubt about its wild origins, the Committee agreed to accept this to Category A of the British List.
The British List stands at 573 species
(Category A = 553; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
British Ornithologists’ Union
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS Tel & Fax +44 (0) 1 865 281 842 Email bou.admin@bou.org.uk web: www.bou.org.uk / www.ibis.ac.uk
British Birds Rarities Committee
Bag End, Churchtown, Towednack, Cornwall TR26 3AZ
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/terrace/yrr86/bbrc.htm
Steve P. Dudley
British Ornithologists' Union/British Ornithologists' Club
PO Box 417, Peterborough PE7 3FX, UK
Tel & Fax +44 (0) 1 733 844 820
Email steve.dudley@bou.org.uk
BOU Web: www.bou.org.uk / www.ibis.ac.uk
BOC Web: www.boc-online.org
Posted by Surfbirds at 3:45 PM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2006
Well known birder Richard Millington joins BOURC
This summer sees several changes to the membership of BOURC.
Bob McGowan (National Museums of Scotland) replaces Eric Meek as an elected member of BOU Council and Chairman of BOURC, and Chris Kehoe (Northumberland) and Richard Millington (Norfolk) replace Bob McGowan and Grahame Walbridge as ordinary members.
Steve Dudley, BOU spokesperson, commented ‘With these three appointments BOURC maintains its high standards of membership. Bob McGowan has established himself as a key member of the Committee in recent years bringing with him his immense experience of museum bird collections and knowledge of historical literature. His appointment to Chairman reflects the high regard with which BOURC members hold him.
‘Chris Kehoe is the secretary of British Birds Rarities Committee’s (BBRC) ‘RIACT’ team, and has been on the fringes of BOURC for some time working as a co-author of the new edition of The British List (Ibis 148: 526-563). Chris has already proved himself as a detailed analyst and researcher of bird records and he will have much to contribute to the Committee’s work.
‘Richard Millington is one of Britain’s best-known and high profile birders. He has authored many identification and taxonomic articles, is Assistant Editor and co-founder of Birding World and the Bird Information Service. His field expertise and wide knowledge base will be an asset to the Committee.
‘The BOU is very grateful to the outgoing members Eric Meek and Grahame Walbridge. Eric chaired the Committee faultlessly over the last four years and his commitment to the work of the Committee was outstanding with frequent trips required from his Orkney home, and Grahame’s energy and enthusiasm will be missed.’
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:34 AM | Comments (0)
July 19, 2006
Moustached Warbler removed from British List
The seventh edition of The British List: a Checklist of Birds of Britain is published this month in the BOU’s journal Ibis (148: 526-563) and replaces the sixth edition A Checklist of Birds of Britain and Ireland (Knox (Ed.) 1992).
The British List includes changes made to the British List up to and including the BOU Record Committee’s (BOURC) 33rd Report (Ibis 148: 594) and the BOURC’s Taxonomic Sub-committee’s 3rd report (Ibis 147: 821-826).
The 33rd BOURC report details the following changes which are included in the new edition of The British List -
Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae
An individual observed at sea c. 12 miles south of St. Mary’s, Scilly on 8 July 2001 becomes the first British record.
Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans
Added to Category A on the basis of the first-winter individual seen on Fair Isle, Shetland on 23 October 2004
Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon
Following a comprehensive review of all records, this species is removed from the British List. A paper detailing the review is currently in preparation for publication in British Birds.
Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus
Added to Category A on the basis of one seen at Kilrenny, Fife from 29 October to 14 November 2004.
Also considered -
Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis
A review of the record from Radipole Lake, Dorset, 23 November 1962 concluded that there were circumstances concerning the plumage and condition of the specimen that led BOURC to conclude that the bird was unlikely to have been a natural vagrant and the species is placed in Category E.
The British List now stands at 572 species
(Category A = 552; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).
The British List can be viewed online at www.bou.org.uk/recbrlst.html.
The BOURC 33rd report can viewed online at www.bou.org.uk/recreps.html.
Copies of the July issue of Ibis in which The British List is published can be purchased from the BOU priced £7.50 (orders to: email sales@bou.org.uk, tel 01 865 281 842 or web www.bou.org.uk/store2.htm).
For further information, you can contact –
Steve Dudley, BOU Administrator Tel 01 733 844 820 Email steve.dudley@bou.org.uk
Tim Melling, Secretary, BOURC Tel 01 484 861 148 Email bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
Bob McGowan, Chairman, BOURC Tel 0131 247 4262 Email bob.mcgowan@bou.org.uk
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:49 PM | Comments (0)
April 6, 2006
Rufous-tailed Robin admitted to Category A of the British List
The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans to category A of the British List following the occurrence of a first-winter bird on Fair Isle, Shetland on 23 October 2004 (sight record, photographed, trapped).
Rufous-tailed Robin, Shetland, Fair Isle 23rd Oct © Simon Mitchell
Rufous-tailed Robin is a long distance migrant breeding in the Siberian taiga from the lower Yenesei valley in the west, across the Russian Far East to Northern Mongolia. It winters largely in southern China and eastern Southeast Asia. Within its known breeding range it is relatively scarce, but breeds within the range of other known vagrants such as Siberian Blue Robin and Pallas's Warbler.
The species is uncommon in the cage bird trade, and is known to be difficult to breed with no breeding reported since 2001. European import bans in place in autumn 2004 due to the Avian Infleunza outbreak in the Far East has curbed the trade of wild birds from the Far East to Europe, so legal channels of import for this and other eastern species were closed before and during the period of this occurrence. Illegal imports into the EU cannot be totally discounted, but the balance of opinion in this case, was firmly in favour of genuine vagrancy.
This is the first record for the Western Palearctic. One subsequent report: Bialystock, Poland on 30-31 December 2005.
Interestingly, this species was predicted by Ian Wallace as a likely vagrant to occur in Europe in his Palearctic Passerine Predictions paper in British Birds in 1980.
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented "Siberian vagrants always provide their finders with a special sort of thrill, and the excitement of this particular find has already been well documented. An inveterate skulker of forest floors, most birders, if they have encountered this species at all, will have seen it at one of the Far East's migration watch points such as Beidaihe. That this one turned up on Fair Isle, where forest floors are few and far between, at least gave the observers a better chance of prolonged views. Long considered a possibility for the British List, members of the BOURC were unanimous in their agreement that Rufous-tailed Robin should be added to Category A of the British List"
The British List now stands at 573 species (Category A =3D 553; Category B =3D 10; Category C =3D 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 1:15 PM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2005
MASKED SHRIKE Admitted to Category A of the British List
MASKED SHRIKE Lanius nubicus, Juvenile, Kilrenny, Fife, 29 October to 14 November 2004
The British Ornithologists‚ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus to Category A of the British List following the occurrence of a juvenile at Kilrenny, Fife on 29 October ˆ 14 November 2004 (sight record, trapped, photographed).
Masked Shrike, Fife © Kit Day
There have been several previous claims, including an adult seen at Bamburgh, Northumberland on 22 October 1961. One of the reasons for rejection at the time was the unusually late date. With date no longer being an issue, this record was recirculated with the Kilrenny file but, due to insufficient detail in the description, was felt by the Committee not to meet the standards necessary for acceptance of a first for Britain.
This record is one of the last of the Hastings Rarities to occur since its removal from the British List.
The species is unknown in captivity.
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented „With records in the 1980s from Finland and Sweden, both also in October, it was probably only a matter of time before Masked Shrike was accepted onto the British List. The timing, east coast locality and the fact that this species is unknown in captivity all made this a relatively easy decision for the BOURC. With Rüppell‚s Warbler Sylvia rueppelli already an established vagrant to Britain we await the arrival of an Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum to complete the south-east European triumvirate.
The British List now stands at 573 species
(Category A = 551; Category B = 12; Category C = 10)
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:08 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2005
Taxonomic changes to the British List
The following recommendations relating to the taxonomy of birds on the British List will take immediate effect with the publication of the BOURC Taxonomic Subcommittee’s (BOURC TSC) report in Ibis (Ibis 147: 821-826)..
The items are summarised below, but for full details of each item please see the full paper (attached PDF) or online at
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2005.00483.x
Canada Goose Branta canadensis
Now treated as two separate species:
· Greater Canada Goose B. canadensis (polytypic, with subspecies canadensis, fulva, interior, maxima, moffitti, occidentalis and parvipes)
· Lesser Canada Goose B. hutchinsii (polytypic, with subspecies hutchinsii, leucopareia, minima and taverneri)
Greater Canada Goose is on Category C of the British List.
A paper on Canada goose taxonomy is in preparation.
Greater Scaup Aythya marila
Treat as polytypic (previously monotypic), with subspecies A. m. marila and A. m. nearctica. The subspecies that occurs in Britain is A. m. marila.
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra
Treat as two separate species:
· Common Scoter M. nigra (monotypic)
· Black Scoter M. americana (monotypic).
Both species are on Category A of the British List.
Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca
Treat as two separate species:
· Velvet Scoter M. fusca (monotypic)
· White-winged Scoter M. deglandi (polytypic, with subspecies deglandi and stejnegeri).
Velvet Scoter is on Category A of the British List.
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata
Treat as monotypic.
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis
The three forms breeding in the tropical and subtropical parts of the Atlantic Ocean (P. l. lherminieri, P. a. baroli, P. a. boydi) that were included in this study formed a monophyletic group which is not closely related to the other forms of the complex (including nominate P. a. assimilis).
The three tropical and subtropical Atlantic taxa are best treated as two species:
· Macaronesian Shearwater P. baroli (polytypic, with subspecies baroli and boydi)
· Audubon’s Shearwater P. lherminieri (monotypic)
Macaronesian Shearwater P. b. baroli is on Category A of the British List (replacing Little Shearwater P. assimilis).
The taxonomic status of P. b. boydi remains under consideration pending study of recently collected sound recordings of that taxon.
Western Palearctic taxa of Aquila and Hieraaetus
Western Palearctic species to be treated as follows:
· Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
· Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina
· Booted Eagle Aquila pennata
· Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos
· Verreauxs’ Eagle Aquila verreauxii
· Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata
· Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis
· Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax
· Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca
· Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalbertii
Two of these species are currently on the British List: Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga (Category B) and Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos (Category A). In addition, Booted Eagle Aquila pennata is included in Category D.
Herring Gull Larus argentatus
The combined evidence of morphology, vocalisations and molecular phylogenetics strongly indicates that L. a. michahellis (incl. atlantis), L. a. armenicus and L. a. argentatus (incl. argenteus) are best treated as separate species:
· Yellow-legged Gull L. michahellis (polytypic)
· Armenian Gull L. armenicus (monotypic)
· Herring Gull L. argentatus (polytypic)
Herring Gull and Yellow-legged Gull are on Category A of the British List.
The taxonomic status of L. a. smithsonianus and L. a. cachinnans is still under review. Diagnosability and differentiation of taxa such as these are central to taxonomic decisions, and the BOU recognises the important contribution that field birders can make in developing identification criteria. However, decisions cannot be based solely on knowledge gained from extralimital records of birds of unknown origin, such as most of the British occurring Caspian Gulls. TSC has purposely taken its time over this issue, as it was known that research was still underway, and it was essential to be in full possession of the facts before attempting to resolve the ‘large white-headed gull’ situation. A paper is in preparation that will describe the reasoning behind the current splits, and the problems that still need to be resolved.
A useful summary of the taxonomic literature on the Larus argentatus - fuscus complex up to 2001 was published by Dubois (2002. Dutch Birding 24: 271-298).
Generic limits of terns
The species on the British List should be listed in the following sequence (note change in scientific names of some species):
· Aleutian Tern Onychoprion aleutica
· Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscata
· Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus
· Little Tern Sternula albifrons
· Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
· Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
· Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida
· Black Tern Chlidonias niger
· White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
· Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis
· Royal Tern Sterna maxima
· Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis
· Forster’s Tern Sterna forsteri
· Common Tern Sterna hirundo
· Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
· Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica
Treat as monotypic.
Generic limits of swallows
The species on the British List should be listed in the following sequence (note changes to some scientific names):
· Sand Martin Riparia riparia
· Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor
· Eurasian Crag Martin Ptyonoprogne rupestris
· Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
· House Martin Delichon urbicum
· Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica
· Cliff Swallow Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Richard’s Pipit Anthus novaeseelandiae
It is recommended that this taxon be treated as a monotypic species:
· Richard’s Pipit A. richardi (monotypic).
Richard’s Pipit is in category A of the British List.
Pallas’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus proregulus
To be treated as monotypic.
Firecrest Regulus ignicapilla
On the basis of diagnostic differences in both morphology and vocal signals, together with significant genetic divergence it is recommended that madeirensis be treated as a separate species.
· Firecrest R. ignicapilla (polytypic, with subspecies ignicapilla, balearicus)
· Madeira Firecrest R. madeirensis (monotypic).
Only Firecrest is on the British List. A paper on the taxonomy of Regulus will appear in due course.
Generic limits of tits
The species on the British List should be listed in the following sequence (note changes to some scientific names):
· Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
· Great Tit Parus major
· Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus
· Coal Tit Periparus ater
· Willow Tit Poecile montanus
· Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
Citation: Sangster, G., Collinson, J.M., Helbig, A.J, Knox, A.G. & Parkin, D.T. 2005. Taxonomic recommendations for British Birds: third report. Ibis 147: 821-826..
For further information, you can contact any of the following –
Martin Collinson, BOURC-TSC Tel 01 224 555 750 Email bourc-tsc@bou.org.uk
Tim Melling, Secretary, BOURC Tel 01 484 861 148 Email bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
Steve Dudley, BOU Administrator Tel 01 733 844 820 Email steve.dudley@bou.org.uk
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:42 AM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2005
Changes to Category C of the British List
With the publication of the Committee‚s review of Category C (Ibis 147: 803-819) the following changes to the British List take immediate effect:
Mute Swan Cygnus olor Categories AC change to AC2
Black Swan Cygnus atratus Category E* - no change
Greylag Goose Anser anser Categories ACE* change to AC2C4E*
Snow Goose Anser caerulescens Categories AE* change to AC2E*
Greater Canada Goose Branta canadensis Categories ACE* change to C2E*
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Categories AE* change to AC2E*
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus Categories CE* change to C1E*
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Categories BDE* - no change
Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata Category E* - alert JNCC
Wood Duck Aix sponsa Category E* - no change
Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata Categories CE* change to C1E*
Gadwall Anas strepera Category A change to AC2
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Categories AE* change to AC2C4E*
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Categories AE* change to AC2E*
Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Categories CE* change to C1E*
Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix Categories AE ˆ no change
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus Categories BC change BC3
Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Categories CE* change to C1E*
Grey Partridge Perdix perdix Categories ACE change to AC2E
Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Categories CE* change to C1E*
Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus Categories CE* change to C1E*
Lady Amherst‚s Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae Categories CE* change to C6E*
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Categories AE* ˆ no change
Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Category E ˆ no change
Red Kite Milvus milvus Categories AC change to AC3
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Categories ACE change to AC3E
Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Categories AE* change to AC3E*
Rock/Feral Pigeon Columbia livia Categories AE* change to AC4E*
Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Categories CE* change to C1E*
Barn Owl Tyto alba Categories AE* - no change
Little Owl Athene noctua Category C change to C1
NOTE ˆ the creation of Category C6 (Lady Amherst‚s Pheasant ˆ see paper).
A PDF copy of the Ibis paper is attached and can be viewed here
Posted by Surfbirds at 3:54 AM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2005
Purple Martin Admitted to Category A of the British List
The British Ornithologists‚ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Purple Martin Progne subis to Category A of the British List following the occurrence of a juvenile at Butt of Lewis, Outer Hebrides on 5 ˆ 6 September 2004 (sight record, photographed).
PURPLE MARTIN, WESTERN ISLES, BUTT OF LEWIS SEPT 2004 © Martin Scott
21 September 2005
A Press Release from the
BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS‚ UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE
and
BRITISH BIRDS RARITIES COMMITTEE
Purple Martin
Progne subis
This individual was followed by a record of a single bird from Flores, Azores on 6 September. These records were associated with a vigorous weather system resulting in a strong westerly airstream across the Atlantic.
This North American species is a long distance migrant, breeding throughout most of the United States and southern Canada. It winters in eastern South America as far south as Argentina. They are early autumn migrants, moving south by late August and are unknown in captivity.
Although these records probably relate to the nominate race which breeds widely throughout eastern North America, racial identification is not possible from the descriptions and photographs available.
These are the only Western Palearctic records. The only extralimital records prior to these had been from the Pribolof Islands, Alaska, and north of the breeding range in Canada.
There are at least four rejected Western Palearctic claims from the 19th Century:
1839/1840 Dublin, Kingstown, obtained, no date, now at Museum of Science and Art, Dublin.
1842 Greater London, Brent Reservoir, Middlesex, killed, September, now at Booth Museum, Brighton.
1854 Yorkshire, West Colne Bridge, near Huddersfield, no date.
1878 Essex, Colchester, 26th September.
Two other species of North American hirundine have occurred in the Western Palearctic ˆ Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor and Cliff Swallow Hirundo pyrrhonota.
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented „'Long-hailed as a potential addition to the British List, the finding of the Purple Martin at the Butt of Lewis must rank as one of the outstanding birding moments of recent years. The Butt of Lewis is not exactly the easiest place in Britain to access but, nevertheless, a respectable number of birders did make a successful journey before the bird moved on.
The quality of the descriptions and photographs left no doubt as to the bird‚s identity and Neotropical congeners such as Southern Martin P. elegans (which has been recorded once in Florida), Caribbean Martin P. dominicensis, Cuban Martin P. (d.) cryptoleuca and Grey-breasted Martin P. chalybea could all be ruled out.
With no evidence of the species ever being kept in captivity, BOURC were unanimous in accepting Purple Martin onto Category A of the British List.‰
The British List now stands at 571 species
(Category A = 549; Category B = 12; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 4:09 AM | Comments (0)
September 16, 2005
Fea's Petrel Added to Category A of British List
The British Ornithologists‚ Union Records Committee has admitted Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae. to Category A of the British List following the acceptance of an individual seen c. 60 miles south-west of the Isles of Scilly on 12 August 2001 (sight record, photographed). It was observed by over 300 birders taking part on the MV Scillonian III pelagic for an hour and twenty minutes.
Other sightings of Fea's Petrel remain under consideration including this one off Scilly in 2004 © Glen Tepke
Identification of the soft-plumaged petrel‚ group is problematic, and separation of Fea's Petrel from the extremely similar Zino's Petrel Pterodroma madeira represents one of the most difficult identification challenges for British birders. Minute but diagnostic differences in bill structure, not normally discernible in field conditions, can however be determined from high quality photographs. Bill measurements of the two species do not overlap, but there is as little as 1 mm difference between the bills of largest Zino's and the smallest Fea's.
This record was supported by excellent still photographs (by Gary Bellingham and others) which enabled both BBRC and BOURC to examine in detail the diagnostic bill structure and positive identification as Fea's Petrel and unanimous acceptance as the first British record of this species.
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented "The supporting photographic evidence was crucial in the assessment of this record, and these left members of BOURC certain of the identification. Pterodroma petrels have been occurring with increasing frequency in British waters and a definite identification was probably only a matter of time. However, inevitably, the great majority of records will have to remain as either/or."
NOTE - a record of one observed on 8 July 2001 seven miles south of the Isles of Scilly is still under consideration.
The British List now stands at 570 species
(Category A = 549; Category B = 12; Category C = 9).
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:36 AM | Comments (0)
July 6, 2005
Taiga Flycatcher admitted to Category A of the British List
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla to Category A of the British List following the occurrence of an adult male at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 23-29 April 2003 (sight record, trapped, photographed).
Taiga Flycatcher breeds across the high north Palearctic region east of c. 50oE (east European Russia) from the Ural Mountains eastwards to eastern Siberia. Its breeding range overlaps that of Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva between 50oE and 60oE. Taiga Flycatcher winters in south-east Asia (southern Nepal, eastern India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, south-east China).
Taiga Flycatcher, Flamborough Head, copyright Brett Richards
There have been only two previously accepted extralimital Western Palearctic records – a first-winter trapped on 26 October 1998 on Öland, Sweden and another first-winter trapped on 16 September 2002 at Klydesøreservatet, Amager, Denmark (Birding World 16: 153-155).
Taiga Flycatcher is treated as monotypic having recently been split from Red-breasted Flycatcher (Ibis 146: 153-157).
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented “With the two previous Western Palearctic records having been of young birds in autumn, the expectation was that the first for Britain would follow suit. That it turned out to be a spring male was a real bonus for all who saw this immaculate bird. Siberian vagrants are appearing in spring with increasing regularity and fears have been expressed in the past that this may be resulting from increasing numbers of escapes from captivity. However, our advice was that this is most unlikely to be the case with Taiga Flycatcher. It was interesting, however, that despite initial appearances, the bird could be aged as a first-summer based on the pale edgings to the greater coverts and tertials and it is tempting to speculate that this was a bird that was displaced westwards in the previous autumn and survived the winter on this side of the Eurasian landmass. Whatever its exact route to Flamborough, BOURC members were unanimous in their belief that this was a genuine vagrant and that it should be admitted to category A of the British List.â€
The British List now stands at 569 species
(Category A = 547; Category B = 12; Category C = 10).
Posted by Surfbirds at 4:33 PM | Comments (0)
June 17, 2005
Taxonomic changes to the British List
Canada Goose is currently treated as a single polytypic species. Molecular, ecological and behavioural evidence suggest that populations of ‘large-bodied’ and ‘small-bodied’ taxa are best treated as separate species.
The following recommendations relating to the taxonomy of birds on the British List will take effect from the publication of the BOURC Taxonomic Subcommittee’s (BOURC-TSC) next report in Ibis.
Canada Goose Branta canadensis
 Greater Canada Goose B. canadensis (polytypic, with subspecies canadensis, fulva, interior, maxima, moffitti, occidentalis and parvipes)
 Lesser Canada Goose B. hutchinsii (polytypic, with subspecies hutchinsii, leucopareia, minima and taverneri).
Note that B. c. parvipes, often referred to as a ‘lesser’ Canada Goose, is placed within the Greater Canada Goose group.
Greater Canada Goose is on Category C of the British List on the basis of the established naturalised population. No vagrant ‘Canada Goose’ had, prior to this recommendation, been assigned to subspecific level. Records will now be reviewed to determine whether any individuals can be assigned to either group.
The British List remains on 568 species
(Category A = 547; Category B = 12; Category C = 9).
Posted by Surfbirds at 2:19 PM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2005
BOURC - Taxonomic changes (Scoters)
Taxonomic changes to the British List
The following recommendations relating to the taxonomy of birds on the British List will take effect from the publication of the BOURC Taxonomic Subcommittee's (BOURC-TSC) next report in Ibis.
Black Scoter Melanitta nigra
The two currently recognised subspecies of Black Scoter, the Eurasian M. n. nigra and the North American and East Asian M. n. americana should be treated as separate species:
Common Scoter M. nigra (monotypic)
Black Scoter M. americana (monotypic).
Both taxa are currently on the British List.
Black Scoter,ssp americana, Denmark, Blåvand 28-03-2003 © Ole Krogh
Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca
Eurasian populations M. f. fusca are distinct from East Asian and North American populations M. f. stejnegeri and M. f. deglandi, and should be recognised as separate species:
Velvet Scoter M. fusca (monotypic)
White-winged Scoter M. deglandi (polytypic, with subspecies deglandi and stejnegeri).
Velvet Scoter is on the British List.
Supporting information relating to these decisions will be published separately.
Posted by Surfbirds at 3:34 AM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2005
The 31st Report of the BOU Records Committee
12 January 2005
A Press Release from the
BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE
The BOU Record Committee’s (BOURC) 31st Report is published this month in the BOU’s journal Ibis (citation – Ibis 147: 246-250). A copy of the report appears below.
The 31st Report covers the period October 2003 to September 2004 and is the fifteenth to follow publication of the most recent Checklist of Birds of Britain and Ireland (6th edition, March 1992). The 30th Report appeared in Ibis 146: 192-195. The Checklist is available from the BOU office and specialist bookshops, price £2 (UK) and £3 (overseas) (prices inc. p&p).
The report includes the following items -
* Changes in taxonomy - Ibis 146: 153-157
* Changes to BOURC operating guidelines and policy regarding assessing natural occurrence of potential additions to the British List
* Category definitions – full definitions of all categories following revision of some category definitions
* Consideration of species for elevation to Category C
* Changes to the British List
o Little Shearwater Puffinis assimilis
o White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
o Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
o Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni
o Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrula alleni
o Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata / Macqueen’s Bustard C. macqueenii
o Bonaparte’s Gull Larus Philadelphia
o Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii Payraudeau
o Ross’s Gull Rhodostethia rosea
o White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
o Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
o Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
o Little Swift Apus affinis
o Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (J. R. Forster)
o Western Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais opaca
o Sykes’s Warbler Hippolais rama
o Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach Linnaeus
o Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
* Revised British List Totals reflecting the above
* Other species considered
o Cape Gannet Morus capensis
o Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, subspecies L. f. fuscus (Baltic Gull) See note 1
* Files under consideration
* Changes to the Manx List
* Publications by members of the BOURC relating to the British List since the previous report (Ibis 146: 192-195)
NOTES
1 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, subspecies L. f. fuscus (Baltic Gull). The BOU Records Committee would like to draw the attention of observers to the extreme rarity of this taxon in Britain and request that all ‘well documented’ claims should be submitted in full to British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC).
END
For further information, you can contact –
Tim Melling, Secretary, BOURC Tel 01 484 861 148 Email bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
Steve Dudley, BOU Administrator Tel 01 733 844 820 Email steve.dudley@bou.org.uk
British Ornithologists’ Union
Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PD
Tel & Fax +44 (0) 1 865 281 842 | Email bou.admin@bou.org.uk
www.bou.org.uk | www.ibis.ac.uk
British Ornithologists’ Union
Records Committee: 31st Report (October 2004)
This report covers the period October 2003 to September 2004 and is the fifteenth to follow publication of the most recent Checklist of Birds of Britain and Ireland (6th edition, March 1992). The 30th Report appeared in Ibis 146: 192-195. The Checklist is available from the BOU office and specialist bookshops, price £2 (UK) and £3 (overseas) (prices inc. p&p).
Checklist of Birds of Britain
During the year, progress continued to be made on a seventh edition of the BOU’s Checklist of Birds of Britain.
The BOU website: www.bou.org.uk
The BOU website includes a continually updated version of the British List, press releases and lists of recent decisions and files in circulation. The website is for information purposes only and is not an official document or part of the permanent record. Announcements of changes to the British List do not come into effect until published in Ibis.
Changes in taxonomy
Since publication of our last report, the BOURC Taxonomic Sub-committee (TSC) has published its latest recommendations relating to the British List (Sangster et al. 2004 Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: second report, Ibis 146: 153-157). These came into immediate effect with the publication of that paper and will not be repeated here.
Changes to BOURC operating guidelines and policy
Assessing natural occurrence of potential additions to the British List
During the course of its work, the Committee is constantly reviewing its operating guidelines and policies. One of the main tasks of BOURC is to assess the likelihood of a species occurring naturally in Britain. This is done by looking at, amongst other things, the location of the individual, time of appearance, weather patterns leading up to its appearance, supporting cast of species, age and condition of the individual, migratory patterns and vagrancy potential of the species. The record is then assessed against the status of the species in captivity and the escape likelihood. Ship assistance is not necessarily a bar to inclusion on the British List, provided the bird was not confined, sheltered or provisioned during its journey. If the bird is found dead on board, we need to consider whether it may have died in British waters. Finally, we need to consider if the species might be capable of reaching Britain without ship assistance. BOURC’s policy on ship assistance was never meant to allow non-migratory species, or port to port transportees to be admitted to the British List.
The Committee recently amended the wording of its policy on ship assistance to reflect better the committee's views, as follows:
That the species might be expected to arrive in Britain naturally and without ship assistance given favourable circumstances (i.e. the species is migratory and its migratory route matches that of other species believed to occur naturally).
The wording of Category E has been reworded (see below) explicitly to cover records of birds arriving here as a result of ‘human-assistance’.
Category definitions
Category definitions were reviewed following a joint BOU/Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) conference in 1995. The published review (British Birds 91: 2-11, Ibis 141: 175–180) outlined the newly adopted category definitions. The Committee recently reviewed several aspects of the categories again. The current definitions are reproduced below with italicised comments indicating the changes that have been made to the wording or the implementation.
A Species that have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since 1 January 1950.
No change.
B Species that were recorded in an apparently natural state at least once between 1 January 1800 and 31 December 1949, but have not been recorded subsequently.
Definition changed to include a start date and dual categorisation with Category D now recognised.
C Species that although introduced now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations.
(This wording was introduced in the Committee’s 29th report (Ibis 145: 178-183). Simplification of the wording without changing the meaning; also minor changes to the wording of the sub-categories below.
C1 Naturalised introduced species – species that have occurred only as a result of introduction, e.g. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
C2 Naturalised established species - species with established populations resulting from introduction by Man, but which also occur in an apparently natural state, e.g. Canada Goose Branta canadensis
C3 Naturalised re-established species - species with populations successfully re-established by Man in areas of former occurrence, e.g. Red Kite Milvus milvus
C4 Naturalised feral species - domesticated species with populations established in the wild, e.g. Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon Columba livia..
C5 Vagrant naturalised species - species from established naturalised populations abroad, e.g. possibly some Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea occurring in Britain. There are currently no species in category C5.
D Species that would otherwise appear in Category A except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state. Species on Category D only do not form any part of the species totals and form no part of the British List.
(This wording was introduced in the Committee’s 29th report (Ibis 145: 178-183).) This category was previously defined as ‘species that would otherwise appear in Categories A or B . . .’ but has been reworded to allow for dual categorisation with Category B.
E Species that have been recorded as introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self sustaining. Species in Category E that have bred in Britain are designated as E*. Category E species form no part of the British List (unless already listed within Categories A, B or C).
The words ‘human-assisted’ now qualify ‘transportees’ to clarify that ship-assisted vagrants may qualify for Category A provided that they are not fed, watered or receive any other direct human intervention during their journey.
Consideration of species for elevation to Category C
Having responsibility for the British List, the BOURC is required to review those non-native species that may establish self-sustaining populations and be eligible for elevation to Category C.
During the year, a more formal system for carrying out this function was agreed with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). BOURC will review available data relating to Category E* species (i.e. those species that have escaped or been released and are now breeding in the wild) to determine whether a species can be considered ‘self-sustaining’. Any species deemed to have a self-sustainable population in Britain will be subject to an ‘alert’ to JNCC, who will then review the available information and assess, with other bodies, any conservation concerns that may arise. On completion of the ‘conservation concern’ review, those species deemed to pose no conservation threat to other flora and fauna will be admitted to Category C.
A review of the status of species that may have the potential for elevation to Category C has already begun.
As a corollary to this work, BOURC, together with the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP), issued a joint press release appealing for observers to submit records of non-native species to county recorders.
‘Post-Irish Firsts’ (pre-1950)
Following the separation of the British and Irish Lists (Ibis 141: 175-180) it became necessary, for species that had been recorded in Ireland prior to being recorded in Britain, to establish acceptable first British records for these species. Post-1950 records were detailed in our 29th Report (Ibis 145: 178-183) and the Committee continued with this process during the current year by considering pre-1950 records. Six of these first records have now been confirmed (see below) but the Committee is still considering which record of Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera may be acceptable as the first for Britain.
Changes to the British List
The following changes have been made to the British List:
Little Shearwater Puffinis assimilis
One, Earsham, Norfolk, 10 April 1858, specimen preserved in Castle Museum, Norwich (Zoologist 16: 6096-7). This becomes the first British record following the review of ‘post-Irish firsts (pre-1950)’.
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
Add to Category C; this species now has dual categorisation of AC.
This follows the establishment of an introduced and now self-sustaining population (Bainbridge et al. 2003. Re-introduction of White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) to Scotland. In Thompson et al. (eds). 2003. Birds of Prey in a Changing Environment. The Stationery Office. Edinburgh).
Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
One, Hawk’s Wood, Cornwall, 4 December 1860, collected but specimen not extant (Zoologist 19: 7311). This becomes the first British record following the review of ‘post-Irish firsts (pre-1950)’.
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni
One, Buckland, near Dover, Kent, May 1877. Found injured, later died, specimen now in Dover Museum (Zoologist 35: 298). This becomes the first British record following rejection of one near York, November 1867, as one of the Tadcaster Rarities’ (Ibis 145: 182).
Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrula alleni
Add to Category A. One, Portland, Dorset, 10 February 2002. Found moribund, photographed, specimen donated to the Natural History Museum (Birding World 15: 58-59). The species was previously included in Category B on the basis of one off Hopton, Norfolk, January 1902.
Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata
Macqueen’s Bustard C. macqueenii
Following the recommendations of the BOURC TSC (Ibis 144: 707-710) to elevate Macqueen’s Bustard C. macqueenii to specific status, the Committee assessed all five British records of Houbara Bustard C. undulata and accepted all as C. macqueenii. Four of these records were pre-1950 (the first being in 1847, Ibis 146: 192-195), but one, Suffolk, November/December 1962, allows Macqueen’s Bustard to be added to Category A of the British List. Houbara Bustard, is removed from the British List.
Bonaparte’s Gull Larus philadelphia
One, Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire, April 1850, collected but specimen not extant (Zoologist 9: 3117-3118). This becomes the first British record following the review of ‘post-Irish firsts (pre-1950)’.
Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii Payraudeau
Add to Category A. Second-summer, Dungeness, Kent, 5-7 May 2003, sight record, photographed and video-recorded (Birding World 18: 199-202.)
Monotypic. Breeds in the Mediterranean basin, wintering there and south along the coast of north-west Africa as far as Senegal.
Ross’s Gull Rhodostethia rosea
First-winter, between Out Skerries and Whalsay, Shetland, 28 April 1936.
Captured exhausted at sea, later died, photograph of mounted specimen extant but specimen now destroyed (Brit.Birds 35: 276). This becomes the first British record following rejection of one, Yorkshire 1846 or 1847, which was one of the ‘Tadcaster Rarities’ (Ibis 145: 178-183).
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus
One, Horsey Mere, Norfolk, 17 May 1853, collected but specimen not extant (Zoologist 11: 3911). This becomes the first British record following the review of ‘post-Irish firsts (pre-1950)’.
Great Spotted Cuckoo Clamator glandarius
One, Clintburn, near Bellingham, Northumberland, 5 August 1870, specimen in Hancock Museum, Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Zoologist 28: 2344).. This becomes the first British record following the review of ‘post-Irish firsts (pre-1950)’..
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus americanus
One, Lawrenny, Stackpole Court, Pembrokeshire, autumn 1832, specimen in Natural History Museum (Proc. Zool. Soc.. Lond. 1: 26). This becomes the first British record following the review of ‘post-Irish firsts (pre-1950).
Little Swift Apus affinis
One, Skewjack, Cornwall, 16 May 1981. Sight record, photographed (Brit.Birds 75: 512). This becomes the first British record following the rejection of one in Denbighshire in 1973 (Ibis 145: 178-183).
Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis (J. R. Forster)
Add to Category A. Male, Spurn Point, Yorkshire, 27 April 1984, sight record, only positively identified and submitted for verification 15 years after its occurrence.
Monotypic. Breeds on the steppes of southern Russia and Kazakhstan; dispersive and perhaps nomadic outside breeding season (Brit. Birds 97: 558-625). This species was previously on the British list but was deleted as one of the Hastings Rarities (Brit. Birds 55: 299-384, Ibis 105: 289-291).
Western Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais opaca
Records of birds on the Isles of Scilly, 3- 4 October 1961 and 30 September – 2 October 1962, that had been submitted as the only British records of this taxon, newly elevated to specific status (Ibis 144: 707-710), were reviewed by the Committee but found to be insufficiently substantiated. This species is therefore removed from the British List.
Sykes’s Warbler Hippolais rama
One, Fair Isle, Shetland, 29 – 31 August 1959, trapped (Brit. Birds 53: 409-431).
Following the recommendation of the TSC (Ibis 144: 707-710), BOURC has accepted the elevation to species status of H. rama (formerly considered a race of Booted Warbler H. caligata). The taxon was established on the British List on the basis of a record from Shetland in 1993 (Ibis 142: 177-179). All British records of Booted Warblers were reviewed by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and subsequently by BOURC to establish if any others were identifiable as Sykes’ Warbler. Several were indeed found to be referable to H. rama and the record detailed above now becomes the first for Britain.
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach Linnaeus
Add to Category A. One, first-winter, Howmore, South Uist, Western Isles, 3 – 4 November 2000. Sight record, photographed (Birding World 13: 454-457).
Polytypic; five races recognised. The Committee felt that the race involved was probably erythronotus which is migratory in the northern part of its range in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan but could not entirely rule out caniceps although the latter’s range in the Indian peninsula made its occurrence most unlikely.
Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator
Add subspecies badius Hartlaub to Category A. Adult male, Portland, Dorset, 10 May 1986. Sight record (Brit.Birds 80: 563).
Breeds only on the Mediterranean islands of Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics.
British List Totals
With the addition of Audouin’s Gull, Black Lark and Long-tailed Shrike to Category A, the deletion of Western Olivaceous Warbler from Category A, and the transfer of Allen’s Gallinule and Macqueen’s Bustard from Category B to Category A , the British List now stands at 567 species. The totals do not include ‘soft-plumaged’ petrels Pterodroma mollis/P. madeira/P. feae as the birds were not identified to species level (Ibis 134: 380). However, the Committee is currently actively considering whether any records from this species group may be assigned to an individual species.
Species in Categories D and E do not form part of the British List.
Category Total
A 546
B 12
C 9
Total 567
The following have also been considered:
Cape Gannet Morus capensis
The record of one taken on the Bass Rock, May 1831 has been thoroughly reviewed by the Committee and rejected on a majority decision.
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
The Committee has considered whether the nominate race of Lesser Black-backed Gull L. f. fuscus, colloquially known as Baltic Gull, should be retained on the British List. On the basis of a Finnish bird ringed as a chick in July 1978 and recovered in Suffolk in October 1981, it was decided that it should but the Committee wish to draw the attention of observers to the extreme rarity of this taxon in Britain.
Files under consideration
Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
BOURC are still considering the records from North Yorkshire in 1837 and 1908 but agreed with BBRC that the record off Walney, Cumbria in 1990 must be considered unproven.
Little Tern Sterna albifrons
Investigations are continuing into the identity of the bird seen in East Sussex, 1983-1990, and believed to be of the race antillarum. The context of the recording noted in the 30th Report (Ibis 146: 192-195) is being investigated while the TSC is still considering the status of the taxon.
Red-necked Nightjar Caprimulgus ruficollis
The only British record, Northumberland, 5 October 1856, is still under review.
Rock Bunting Emberiza cia
Following a review of the records of this species by BBRC, the Committee is considering which of these may constitute an acceptable first for Britain.
Changes to the Manx List
There have been no additions or modifications to the Manx List during the period under review.
Publications by members of the BOURC relating to the British List since the previous report (Ibis 146: 192-195)
Garner, M., Lewington, I. & Slack, R. 2003. Mongolian and Lesser Sand Plovers: an identification review. Birding World 16: 377-385.
Garner, M., Lewington, I. & Rosenberg, G. 2004. Stejneger’s Scoter in the Western Palearctic and North America. Birding World 17: 337-347.
Harrop, A.H.J. 2004. The soft-plumaged petrel complex. Brit. Birds 97: 6-15.
Harrop, A.H.J. 2004. The ‘North American’ Peregrine in Britain. Brit. Birds 97: 130-133.
Bradshaw, C. & Meek, E.R. 2004. Comments on ‘Canvasback in Kent: new to Britain’. Brit. Birds 97: 142.
Bradshaw, C. & Meek, E.R. 2004. Comments on ‘Red-billed Tropicbird: new to Britain’. Brit. Birds 97: 237.
Bradshaw, C. & Meek, E.R. 2004. Comments on ‘Snowy Egret in Argyll & Bute: new to Britain’. Brit. Birds 97: 275.
Bradshaw, C. & Meek, E.R. 2004. Comments on ‘American Coot in Kent: new to Britain’. Brit Birds: 97: 447.
McGowan, R.Y., Clugston, D.L. & Forrester, R.W. 2004. Identification and status of Scotland’s endemic wrens and other endemic subspecies. Birding World 17: 71-75.
Votier, S.C., Bearhop, S., Newell, R.G., Orr, K., Furness, R.W. & Kennedy, M. 2004.
The first record of Catharacta antarctica in Europe. Ibis 146: 95-102.
Acknowledgements
A considerable number of people assisted the Committee in its work during the course of the year and, with sincere apologies for any accidental omissions, the BOURC would like to extend our thanks to the following: Mark Adams, David Bolton, Ian Dawson, Steve Dudley, Errol Fuller, Baz Hughes, Nigel Jarret, Chris Keogh, Alan Knox, Cathy King, Stuart Ogilvy, Phil Palmer, Mike Pennington, Pete Rock, Mike Rogers, Brian Small, Didier Vangeluwe, Keith Vinicombe and Ian Wallace.
Committee Membership
During the year, Dr Roger Wilkinson retired (on rotation) from the Committee and his place has been taken by Dr Stephen Votier. Roger’s knowledge of birds in captivity has been essential to the Committee and we are delighted that he has agreed to remain with us in a consultative capacity.
The following served on the BOURC during the period covered by this report (expected year of retirement in parentheses):
Eric Meek (Chairman) (2006)
Tim Melling (Secretary) (2007)
Martin Collinson (2009)
Andrew Harrop (2007)
Ian Lewington (2005)
Bob McGowan (2008)
Tony Prater (2006)
Grahame Walbridge (2010)
Steve Votier (2011)
Roger Wilkinson (2004)
Colin Bradshaw (BBRC Representative)
British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee
Department of Zoology
University of Oxford
South Parks Road
Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
Email bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
Web www.bou.org.uk
CITATION: BOURC, 2005. Ibis 147: 246-250
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
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) is responsible for maintaining the official list of birds recorded in Britain – the British List. For over 100 years the BOU has maintained a list of birds that have been recorded in Britain. The BOURC periodically publishes up-to-date checklists incorporating changes the BOURC has announced in its reports published annually (in January) 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.
Categories used in the British List
A Species that have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since 1 January 1950.
B Species that were recorded in an apparently natural state at least once between 1 January 1800 and 31 December 1949, but have not been recorded subsequently.
C Species that although introduced now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations.
C1 Naturalised introduced species – species that have occurred only as a result of introduction, e.g. Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus
C2 Naturalised established species - species with established populations resulting from introduction by Man, but which also occur in an apparently natural state, e.g. Canada Goose Branta canadensis
C3 Naturalised re-established species - species with populations successfully re-established by Man in areas of former occurrence, e.g. Red Kite Milvus milvus
C4 Naturalised feral species - domesticated species with populations established in the wild, e.g. Rock Dove/Feral Pigeon Columba livia..
C5 Vagrant naturalised species - species from established naturalised populations abroad, e.g. possibly some Ruddy Shelducks Tadorna ferruginea occurring in Britain. There are currently no species in category C5.
D Species that would otherwise appear in Category A except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state. Species on Category D only do not form any part of the species totals and form no part of the British List.
E Species that have been recorded as introductions, human-assisted transportees or escapees from captivity, and whose breeding populations (if any) are thought not to be self sustaining. Species in Category E that have bred in Britain are designated as E*. Category E species form no part of the British List (unless already listed within Categories A, B or C).
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. 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.
BOURC and BBRC – why two committees?
For records relating to new species for Britain (a ‘first’), the BOURC looks at identification, taxonomy and the origin of the bird. Detailed investigations into racial and species identification, escape likelihood and vagrancy potential are undertaken to determine the validity of the record before admission to the British List.
The BOURC alone decides which species are to be admitted to the British List and how they are to be categorised. The BOURC also considers records of all major rarities, particularly those prior to 1958 (when BBRC was founded), monitors introduced populations for possible admittance to or deletion from the list, and reviews taxonomy and nomenclature in general. For ‘first’ records, the BBRC is concerned solely with identification. However, the BBRC also assesses large numbers of subsequent records of major rarities after 1958. The workload of both Committees is substantial, and complementary.
The BOURC maintains the British List on behalf of the BOU, legislators and the international birdwatching and ornithological communities.
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.
British Ornithologists’ Union
For BOU news, publications, events and more, check out the BOU Website
www.bou.org.uk
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:26 AM | Comments (0)
November 2, 2004
Black Lark admitted to British List
BOURC has admitted Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis to Category A of the British List
Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis
Male, sight record
Spurn, East Yorkshire
27 April 1984
Admitted to Category A of the British List
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis to Category A of the British List following the occurrence of an adult male at Spurn, East Yorkshire on 27 April 1984 (sight record).
Black Lark breeds on the steppes of Kazakhstan and southern Russia where it is largely resident but individuals regularly wander west and south of the normal range, especially during periods of severe weather. There have been 23 previous extralimital Western Palearctic records involving 30 individuals (Brit. Birds 97: 558-625). These are mainly from south-east Europe (i.e. closest to the species’ winter range), but with recent records from Finland and Sweden. The most recent extralimital record was a well-watched male on Anglesey from 1-8 June 2003 (Brit. Birds 97: 558-625). The majority of records are from January to May, with one record from late November (Czech Republic 1981) and one from late July (Heligoland 1892). This was also a species involved in the ‘Hastings Rarities’ scandal, with a series of discredited records from the Kent/Sussex border between 1907 and 1915.
This record was first submitted to BBRC in 1999, 15 years after the sighting. It was seen by four observers, one of whom was a non-birder. The others included Barry Spence (then Warden of Spurn Point Nature Reserve) and the late Nick Bell, who submitted notes and also wrote an account at the time in the Spurn Bird Observatory log. It was pended by BBRC following its first circulation but during this process, additional notes were submitted by the fourth observer, Alex Cruickshanks. The file then underwent three recirculations of BBRC before finally being accepted and being passed to BOURC for ratification of the record as an addition to the British List.
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented “bearing in mind that this individual was not identified until well after the event, and with no photographic evidence available, we needed to eliminate other possible confusion species that could conceivably have originated from captivity, especially White-billed Buffalo Weaver (Bubornis albirostris). Increasing field experience of Black Larks amongst members of both Committees, especially in relation to the variability in the white mottling on the basically black plumage, helped to convince them of the validity of the description. Advice from our captive bird expert, Roger Wilkinson (Chester Zoo), indicated that there was no evidence that Black Lark was known in captivity (and this remains the case), although its congener, Mongolian Lark (Melanocorypha mongolica) was being offered for sale. Unanimous belief that the species had been identified correctly, together with the unlikelihood of a captive origin allowed the Spurn Black Lark to be accepted as the first record of this species for Britain.â€
The British List now stands at 568 species
(Category A = 547; Category B = 12; Category C = 9).
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:13 PM | Comments (0)
July 1, 2004
Audouins Gull admitted to British List
BOURC has admitted Audouin’s Gull to the British List following the occurrence of an individual at Dungeness, Kent in May 2003
The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Audouin’s Gull Larus audouinii to the British List following the occurrence of a 2nd summer individual at Dungeness, Kent on 5 – 7 May 2003 (sight record, photographed).
Photographs suggest that this is the same individual that was recorded on 1 May 2003 in the Netherlands.
Audouin’s Gull was formerly a rare and localised species. It is still restricted to the Mediterranean as a breeding bird, but its numbers have risen from c.1000 pairs in the early 1970s to more than 17,000 pairs by 1995. The species is partly migratory, the main winter quarters lying along the Atlantic Coast from Morocco, as far south as Senegal and Gambia. The increasing population has seen an increase in extralimital records including four records from France , plus three records from Switzerland. One of the French records was from Boulogne-sur-Mer, just across the Channel from Kent.
Research by BOURC found only two birds in captivity within Europe, both in the Zoobotanico, Jerez, Spain (held there since 1998). Incidentally, Jerez is further from Dungeness than the Ebro Delta (one of the places where Audouin's Gull has recently undergone a massive population expansion from 36 pairs in 1981 to 6,714 pairs in 1992).
With an increasing population this is an expected addition to the British List and further records can be expected.
Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented, ‘The BOURC was extremely impressed by the quality of the material submitted to substantiate this record. The detailed documentation together with the excellent photographs left no doubt as to the identification and, there being virtually no escape risk, the decision to admit Audouin’s Gull to the British List was a straightforward oneâ€.
The British List now stands at 567 species
(Category A = 544; Category B = 14; Category C = 9).
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:16 PM | Comments (0)
January 31, 2003
A joint Press Release from BOU and BBRC
31 January 2003 - A joint Press Release from BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE and BRITISH BIRDS RARITIES COMMITTEE
Ascension Frigatebird
Tiree, Inner Hebrides, Scotland
9 July 1953
Added to Category A of the British List
The British Ornithologists Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Ascension Frigatebird Fregata aquila to Category A of the British List following the reidentificaton of a bird found moribund on the island of Tiree, Inner Hebrides, Argyllshire, Scotland on 9 July 1953 (sight record, specimen) and originally identified as Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens. With no other records, Magnificent Frigatebird is therefore removed from the British List.
The bird, an immature female, was found exhausted on 9 July 1953 and died later the same day. The body was taken to the National Museum of Scotland where it remained for nearly fifty years, its identity as Magnificent Frigatebird unquestioned.
The record was recently reviewed by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) following a decision by the Association of European Rarities Committees (AERC) to bring European rarities committees into line with a standard date of 1950 for Category A records. Prior to this, the accepted date for Category A in Britain was 1958, the date when BBRC was formed. During the circulation, BBRC members Brian Small and Grahame Walbridge suspected a misidentification and undertook detailed research to confirm the identity as Ascension Frigatebird. Identification of immature frigatebirds is not straightforward and this research broke new ground.
At the same time that Magnificent Frigatebird is removed from the British List, it is added to the Isle of Man List following the discovery of an exhausted bird at Scarlett Point, Castletown, on 22 December 1998. The bird, an adult female was taken into care, where it died 10 months later (October 1999). The detailed description plus photographs left no doubt that the bird was correctly identified, though unfortunately the corpse was not retained. Thankfully the original observers of the Tiree frigatebird sent the body to a museum otherwise Ascension Frigatebird would have been denied its rightful place on the British List.
There will be a full paper appearing in British Birds outlining this remarkable event.
These changes mean that the British List remains on 565 species
(Category A = 542; Category B = 14; Category C = 9).
For further information, you can contact –
Eric Meek, Chairman, BOURC Tel 01 856 850 176 Email eric.meek@bou.org.uk
Tim Melling, Secretary, BOURC Tel 01 484 861 148 Email bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
Steve Dudley, BOU Administrator Tel 01 733 844 820 Email steve.dudley@bou.org.uk
Colin Bradshaw, Chairman, BBRC Tel 0191 257 2389 Email drcolin.bradshaw@btinternet.com
Posted by Surfbirds at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2002
BOU's Checklist of Birds of Britain
This report covers the period October 2001 to September 2002 and is the thirteenth to follow publication of the most recent Checklist of Birds of Britain and Ireland (6th edition, March 1992). The 28th Report appeared in Ibis 144: 181-184. The Checklist (6th edition) is available from the BOU office and specialist bookshops, price £2 (UK) and £3 (overseas) (prices inc. pp)
Checklist of Birds of Britain
Work on a seventh edition of the BOU's Checklist of Birds of Britain continued during the year.
The BOU website: www.bou.org.uk
The BOU website includes the British List, press releases and lists of recent decisions and files in circulation. The website is for information purposes only and is not an official document or part of the permanent record. Announcements of changes to the British List do not come into effect until published in Ibis.
Changes in taxonomy
Since publication of our last report, our Taxonomic Sub-committee has outlined the approach that it adopts when considering species-level decisions (Helbig et al., 2002, Guidelines for assigning species rank, Ibis 144: 518-525). The Sub-committee has also published recommendations relating to the British List (Knox et al., 2002, Taxonomic recommendations for British Birds, Ibis 144: 707-710). These came into immediate effect with the publication of that paper and will not be repeated here.
Category definitions
The Categories of the British list were last revised in the 25th Report (Ibis 141: 175-180). Two minor changes are required. The introduction of Category C is reworded to read
"Species that although introduced now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations."
The sub-categories remain unchanged. Category D has been redefined to allow dual categorisation of B and D. The new definition of Category D is
"Species that would otherwise appear in Category A except that there is reasonable
doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state."
Post Irish Firsts
A number of species included on the former joint British and Irish List were associated with first records which had occurred in Ireland. With the separation of British and Irish records in 1998 (Ibis 141: 175-180), it became necessary to determine the first record for Britain in each case. Ten of these first records have now been confirmed (see below).
Changes to the British List
The following changes have been made to the British List:
NOTE: the taxonomic changes published in Ibis 144: 707-710 are not repeated here.
Black Duck Anas rubripes
Male, Yantlet Creek, Stoke, Kent, 18-25 March 1967 (Brit. Birds 60: 482-483; 61: 335). This becomes the first British record.
Canvasback Aythya valisineria
Male, probably first-winter, Cliffe, Kent, 7 December 1996.
This is the first British record, preceding by some six weeks the previously accepted record at Welney, Norfolk, which may well have been the same individual.
Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus Linnaeus
Add to Category A.
One at sea 20 miles (32 km) SSE of the Isles of Scilly, 7 June 2001. Sight record, photographed (Birdwatch 111: 50-51, Birding World 15: 352, Brit. Birds 95: 480).
Three races are recognised, P.a.indicus in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, P.a. aethereus on Ascension Island, St.Helena and Fernando Noronha and P.a. mesonauta in the eastern Pacific, the Caribbean, Iles de la Madeleine off Senegal and the Cape Verde Islands, the last locality being the species’ only breeding station within the Western Palearctic. The Committee felt that although subspecific identification could not be made with certainty from the photographs, P.a. mesonauta was probably the race involved.
Snowy Egret Egretta thula (Molina)
Add to Category A.
One (age uncertain), Balvicar, Seil Island, Argyll, 5 Nov 2001, and various West and Southwest Scottish coast localities into 2002. Sight record, photographed (Birding World 14: 460-464; Brit. Birds 95: 210, Brit. Birds 95:481-482).
This species appears to be unknown in captivity in Europe and with three records from Iceland and four from the Azores, vagrancy potential had already been established. Despite extensive correspondence with experts in the US, the age of this individual remains undetermined.
American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica
Adult, Fair Isle, Shetland, 14-15 September 1956 (Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report 1955/56: 25; Scot. Birds 1: 68; Dymond, 1991 The Birds of Fair Isle (privately published)). This becomes the first British record.
Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris Vieillot
Add to Category A.
First-summer, Druridge Bay, Northumberland, 4-7 May 1998. Sight record, photographed and video recorded (Birding World 11: 181-191; Brit. Birds 95: 272-278
279-299, Brit. Birds 95: 494).
An unexpected record that not only added the species to the British List but contributed significantly to the identification of non-adult individuals of this species whose world population is believed to be only 50-270 birds (Tucker, G. M.
Heath, M. F. 1994. Birds in Europe: Their Conservation Status (BirdLife Conservation Series No 3)). Confirming the identification involved a considerable amount of work by the British Birds Rarities Committee, making ratification by the BOURC relatively straightforward.
Known, as a breeding species, only from a restricted area of south-western Siberia where nests were found during the early years of the 20th Century (Gretton et al. 2002. Brit. Birds 95: 334-344), in recent decades observations have been restricted to a small number of sites in south and east Europe east to Kazakhstan and a handful of individuals that wintered more regularly at a single locality in Morocco. Work continues to try to find the current breeding grounds in the hope of saving the Slender-billed Curlew from extinction. The ageing of the Druridge Bay bird as a first-summer proved that successful nesting occurred in 1997.
Black Tern Chlidonias niger
Correction to 28th Report (Ibis 144: 181-184): Black Tern Chlidonias niger surinamensis delete brackets from author Gmelin.
Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus)
Add to Category A.
North Uist, Western Isles, 14-16 November 1999. Sight record. Video recorded (Birding World 12: 453).
The only previous record of this species in the British Isles was one on the Calf of Man on 31 October 1989 and found dead the following day. Records from the Isle of Man no longer form part of the British List.
Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythrophthalmus
Immature, Tresco, Isles of Scilly, 27 October 1932. Found dead, specimen now in Isles of Scilly Museum (Brit. Birds 27: 111-112; 48:7; Bull. Brit. Orn. Club 53: 77, 88; Penhallurick. 1978. The Birds of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly). This becomes the first British record.
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops superciliosus
Add subspecies persicus Pallas to Category A.
St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, 13 July 1921 (Bull. Br. Orn. Club 92: 57-59, Ibis 114: 446-447).
Following a review, this bird is confirmed as belonging to the race persicus, which breeds from Egypt to north and west India, wintering mainly in east tropical Africa.
Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis (Linnaeus)
Add to Category A.
South Stack, Holy Island, Anglesey, 4-5 October 2001. Sight record (Birding World 14: 424-425, Brit. Birds 95: 505).
Gray Catbird breeds from southern Canada south throughout most of the USA, apart from the south-western states, and winters in the eastern USA south as far as Panama and the Caribbean. There had been five previous Western Palearctic occurrences including one on Jersey, Channel Islands (October-December 1975) and one on Cape Clear Island, Ireland (4 November 1986). The only other British record related to a bird that arrived in Portsmouth on board the QE II cruise liner on 21 October 1998. Although ship assistance does not disqualify species from being accepted onto the British List, this particular individual was not known to have left ship whilst in port and, more importantly, survived the Atlantic crossing with human assistance, ruling out admittance to Category A. Apparently unknown as a cage-bird outside the USA, acceptance of the Anglesey individual as a wild vagrant was supported by the arrival of a Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus there on the same day.
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarynchos
Correction to 28th Report (Ibis 144: 181-184): Common Nightingale Luscinia megarynchos hafizi delete brackets from author Severtzov.
Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane (Pallas)
Add to Category A.
First-year or adult female, Minsmere, Suffolk, 23 October 2000. Sight record (Birding World 13: 412-414, Brit. Birds 95: 505).
The species breeds in southern Siberia from the Altai Mountains to the Sea of Okhotsk and in eastern Mongolia, northern China, Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Japan; it winters in mainland south-east Asia, the Philippines, Borneo and Sumatra. One trapped on Sark, Channel Islands on 27 October 1975 and another, also trapped, in the Ebre Delta, Spain on 18 October 2000, just five days prior to the Minsmere record, are the only other Western Palearctic records.
The species is known to be relatively common in captivity but the circumstances of the Minsmere occurrence point towards this individual being a vagrant rather than of captive origin. The date and location were both consistent with natural occurrence as was the appearance of many other Siberian vagrants in Europe at the same time. These included no fewer than 28 Radde’s Warblers Phylloscopus schwarzi in the UK alone. Radde's Warbler shares a similar breeding range with Siberian Blue Robin.
Swainson's Thrush Catharus ustulatus
Skokholm, Pembrokeshire, 14–19 October 1967. Trapped (Brit. Birds 61: 349). This becomes the first British record.
Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis
Cley, Norfolk, 24 August 1976, and presumed same, Holme, Norfolk, 29 August - 5 September 1976 (Brit. Birds 70: 435; 71: 275-277). This becomes the first British record.
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Locustella certhiola
Immature, Fair Isle, Shetland, 8-9 October 1949 (Brit. Birds 70: 435; 71: 275-277). This becomes the first British record.
Philadelphia Vireo Vireo philadelphicus
Tresco, Isles of Scilly, 10-13 October 1987 (Brit. Birds 81: 588; 84: 499, 572-574, plates 313-314; Twitching 1: 301-302). This becomes the first British record.
Red-eyed Vireo Vireo olivaceus
St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, 4-10 October 1962, and another, 4-17 October 1962 (Brit. Birds 56: 406). These become the first British records.
Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis
Dengemarsh, Dungeness, Kent, 26 May 1960. Trapped (Brit. Birds 64: 367; 69: 452-453). becomes the first British record.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus
Female, St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, 6-11 October 1966. Trapped (Brit. Birds 60: 330; 61: 176-180). This becomes the first British record.
Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula
Immature male, Unst, Shetland, 26 September 1890. Captured.
Following a review, this is accepted as the first British record. It was well documented at the time, but was dismissed as a likely escape from captivity. Subsequent records have revealed that the location, date and age all support natural vagrancy.
British List totals
With the addition of Red-billed Tropicbird, Snowy Egret, Slender-billed Curlew, Mourning Dove, Gray Catbird, Siberian Blue Robin, Western Olivaceous Warbler, Sykes's Warbler and Hooded Crow to Category A, the deletion of Houbara Bustard from Category A and the addition of Macqueen's Bustard to Category B, the British List is increased to 565. These totals take account of the taxonomic decisions published recently in Ibis 144: 707-710, but do not include Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis/P. madeira/P.feae as the birds were not identified to species level (Ibis 134: 380). Identification of Soft-plumaged Petrels to species level is currently under review.
Species in Category D (and Category E) do not form part of the British List.
Category Totals
A 542
B 14
C 9
Total 565
Three additional species are currently included in Category A of the Northern Ireland List (one of these is also in Category D of the British List).
The following have also been considered
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
The status of this species on the British List was given careful consideration and it was agreed to retain it in Category B on the basis of the 1892 influx. It was also agreed that no post-1950 records could be confirmed as referring to definitely wild birds and that some of these were best placed in Category D (Brit. Birds 95: 123-128). With the revisions of the species categories, Ruddy Shelduck is now placed in both Category B and Category D of the British List.
Wood Duck Aix sponsa
In the absence of any records with a strong likelihood of an individual having arrived naturally, this species is no longer under active consideration for admission to Category A.
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus
A record of a female Hooded Merganser at Oban Trumisgarry Loch, North Uist, Western Isles from 23 October to 1 November 2000 was considered by BOURC and placed in Category D. The location and timing of the occurrence suggested natural vagrancy as did the original claim that the bird was a first-winter. However, careful examination of the available evidence showed that the bird was of indeterminable age and this, together with other factors such as the rarity of the species in the eastern part of its North American range and the frequency with which it is kept in captivity in Europe, resulted in the Committee feeling that they could not accept the bird onto Category A.
Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
In the absence of any records with a strong likelihood of an individual having arrived naturally, this species is no longer under active consideration for admission to Category C(5).
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus
Sightings of a pale morph, all believed to refer to the same individual, were reported from various parts of Britain and Ireland, from Waterford in the south-west to Orkney in the north-east (including Co. Down and Antrim in Northern Ireland), between March 1999 and June 2000. The record was considered by BOURC in conjunction with the Irish Rare Birds Committee and the Northern Ireland Birdwatchers’ Association Records Committee. The three committees were of the opinion that none of the occurrences were acceptable for admission to Category A on the basis of a) the bird’s abnormally abraded plumage, b) the very early arrival date, c) the long sea crossing implied by its arrival in Ireland, d) the long stay within the British Isles contrasting with the short stay of most vagrant raptors and e) the fact that, although rare, the species is not unknown in captivity. The records were therefore placed in Category D.
Files under consideration
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii
A review of all the records of this species is approaching completion.
White-faced Storm Petrel Pelagodroma marina
The 1897 record from Colonsay, Argyllshire, is being reviewed along with the records of Bulwer's Petrel.
Cape Gannet Morus capensis
The 1831 record from Bass Rock, Lothian is still under review.
Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
The racial identity of the 1864 Wiltshire record, reported to be Steppe Buzzard B. b. vulpinus, is being reviewed.
Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii
Macqueen's Bustard is now on Category B of the British List. The only recent (post 1950) record (Suffolk, 1962) is being reviewed to determine whether the species should be admitted to Category A.
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
Difficulty is being experienced in confirming the ringing records from Sweden and Finland, said to relate to the subspecies L. f. fuscus, on the basis of which this race is currently on the British List.
Royal Tern Sterna maxima
A record from Kent in 1965 (a potential first for Britain) has been referred to the British Birds Rarities Committee for confirmation of its identity.
Little Tern Sterna albifrons
The file relating to an individual, claimed to belong to the race antillarum, which arrived in East Sussex in 1983 remains closed while the Committee attempts to obtain sound recordings of the grey-rumped West African race guineae in order to rule out the latter taxon.
Little Swift Apus affinis
A record from Denbighshire in 1973 has not been accepted as the first for Britain and consideration is now being given to one from Skewjack, Cornwall in 1981.
Blyth's Pipit Anthus godlewski
Consideration of a file on the bird that occurred on Fair Isle, Shetland in October 1988, as the first British record, is approaching completion.
Western Olivaceous Warbler Hippolais opaca
The British Birds Rarities Committee is currently reviewing claimed records of this taxon prior to making recommendations to BOURC.
Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach
The Committee is gathering information on the captive status (of all races) in Britain, Europe and the Far Eastern bird markets before its assessment of the individual seen on South Uist, Outer Hebrides, 3-4 November 2000.
Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps
The BOURC is awaiting BBRC’s review of recent records of this species. There has been a marked reduction in the incidence of this species in captivity in recent decades.
The Tadcaster Rarities
The BOURC has been reviewing three potential first records for British that all involved the same York taxidermist (Ross's Gull Rhodostethia rosea, Tadcaster 1847; Macqueen's Bustard, Lincs, 1847; Orphean Warbler Sylvia hortensis, Wetherby, 1848). Further investigation has shown that the same taxidermist was involved with a number of other records of extremely rare birds including yet another potential first (Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, York, 1867). Some of these records are undoubtedly genuine, including the Macqueen's Bustard where his involvement was merely to correctly re-identify it. Investigations are continuing into the facts relating to the other records.
Changes to the Manx List
The following change to the Manx List has been passed on to BOURC by the Manx Ornithological Society
Rosy Starling Sturnus roseus
Add to Category A.
Juvenile, Peel, 10 October 1999.
Changes to the Northern Ireland List
The following change to the Northern Ireland List has been passed on to BOURC by the Northern Ireland Birdwatchers Association
European Bee-eater Merops apiaster
Add to Category A.
One Island Magee (Antrim) 1 May 2000.
The following has also been considered
Booted Eagle Hieraatus pennatus
See Booted Eagle account above under BOURC files also considered.
Acknowledgements
The Committee could not operate successfully without the considerable help it receives from many people. We particularly wish to thank Gwen Bonham, Ian Dawson, Steve Dudley, Mike Gee, Nick Green, Andreas Helbig, Tim Inskipp, Keith Naylor