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2002 News and Decisionsfrom the Records Committee (BOURC)11 December 2002Several localities in west and southwest Scotland 5 November 2001 – 17 September 2002 Added to Category A of the British List The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Snowy Egret Egretta thula to Category A of the British List following the acceptance of a bird first seen at Balvicar, Argyll & Bute, Scotland on 5 November 2001 (sight record, photographed). The bird frequented several sites in west and southwest Scotland. It spent more than two months on the Isle of Arran (15 Jan to 28 March 2002) and was last seen on 17 September 2002 at Caerlaverock (Dumfries & Galloway). A report from Stranraer on 29 September remains unconfirmed. The bird may still be in Britain as it went missing from 1 June (after revisiting its original locality of Balvicar) before being located at Caerlaverock on 6 September (Birding World 14: 460–464; Brit. Birds 95: 210, Brit. Birds 95:481–482). This first for Britain is highly unusual in two respects; first the extraordinary length of its stay, and second, the number of localities at which it was recorded visiting three different counties (Argyll & Bute, Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway). Snowy Egret breeds along the south and east coasts of North America and discontinuously into the interior. Northernmost and interior populations are migratory and move southwards but coastal birds are more sedentary. Regular migratory species are more likely to appear outside their normal range and this species had already been recorded seven times within the Western Palaearctic - three times in or near Iceland and four times in the Azores. Snowy Egret is not known in captivity in Britain or Europe. This addition brings the British List to 565 species (Category A = 542; Category B = 14; Category C = 9). 10 December 2002Bird corpses, bits of birds and ornithological research Corpses of birds, and bits of birds, have a usefulness that is often insufficiently appreciated by those who find them. Specimens that survive can continue to provide new information for tens, or hundreds, of years (e.g. British Birds 93: 61-73, 2001). Although the finders of some rarities are keen to retain them in their possession, the plumage may fade very quickly (due to light exposure) lessening their scientific value. Such specimens are also prone to damage or total destruction by insect pests such as moths or beetles, or they may rot away as the fat in the skin decomposes. In any case, personally held specimens are not accessible to other researchers. Characteristically, few such specimens survive longer than a couple of decades and ultimately they are lost to science. During the most recent review of Grey-cheeked Thrushes Catharus minimus in the British Isles, it was discovered that only 4 of the 9 dead birds were traceable (British Birds 89: 1-9, 1996). Fresh corpses should preferably be passed to a museum where the specimen will be preserved. Research use is likely to go beyond identification. Depending on circumstances, other material may also be preserved, e.g. whole or part carcass, tissue or blood samples, external and internal parasites, stomach contents and skeleton. It is usually possible to salvage parts with valid research potential even if the specimen is fragmentary – perhaps only a wing or a few feathers - or is partially decayed. In some cases, single feathers may be significant. The BOURC strongly encourages finders of rare bird corpses, and also of birds in less well-known plumages or with plumage aberrations, to deposit them with a collection where they will be preserved and made available for research. Skin collections at national museums are generally recognised as the most suitable depositories for rarities. In the UK these are at Tring, Herts (The Natural History Museum), Edinburgh (National Museums of Scotland), Liverpool (National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside), Cardiff (National Museums & Galleries of Wales) and Belfast (Ulster Museum). Contact details are given below. Some museums, both national and local, are also keen to receive good specimens of commoner birds, but this should always be checked with them before supplying specimens. The relevant museum should be contacted for specific instructions and advice for the transmission of specimens. For interim storage, fresh corpses should be wrapped in absorbent paper (e.g. kitchen roll), labelled with date and locality of collection (and fresh weight if possible), packed in a polythene bag and frozen. Some institutions will reimburse postal charges. If you have a specimen at the moment and no longer need it, please consider passing it on to a museum now. Alternatively, if there is a chance that someone else may have to deal with it in due course, please add a large label to it now, with full data (if it doesn't have it already) and the following text: DO NOT DESTROY Ringers handling rare birds are encouraged to preserve feathers that may come loose (making sure they DO come from the bird concerned – not just stray debris from the bottom of the bird bag!). Feathers are best placed in a small envelope and labelled with the ringing details, and then passed to one of the museums listed below. The Natural History Museum National Museums of Scotland National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside National Museum & Gallery Cardiff Ulster Museum Bob McGowan and Steve Dudley For further information, you can contact – 17 September 2002Taxonomic recommendations for British birds and changes to the British List In the October issue of the British Ornithologists’ Union’s journal, Ibis, the BOU publishes the latest taxonomic recommendations for British birds by the Taxonomic Sub-committee of the BOU Records Committee (Knox et al. 2002. Ibis 144: 707-710). The following changes to the British List take immediate effect.
These changes bring the British List to 563 species (Category A = 540; Category B = 14; Category C = 9). In addition, the following change should be noted: Category D species (Category D does not form part of the British List totals)
Reference 12 August 2002South Stack, Holy Island, Anglesey Added to Category A of the British List The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis to Category A of the British List following the acceptance of a bird seen at South Stack, Holy Island, Anglesey on 4 – 5 October 2001. The date and west coast location are consistent with natural vagrancy from North America. Another North American vagrant, a Red-eyed Vireo, was found at the same site on the 4 October. An investigation into the captive status of Gray Catbird revealed that it was unknown as a cagebird outside North America. The bird was extraordinarily elusive during its two-day stay, but was described sufficiently well to establish the identification beyond doubt. It was not photographed. This record constitutes the sixth confirmed occurrence of the Gray Catbird in the Western Palearctic. The only other British record relates to a bird that arrived in Portsmouth, Hampshire on board the QEII cruise liner on 21 October 1998. The bird was not known to have left the ship while it was in port, and was not admitted to the official British List as its passage to Britain was human-assisted, with the bird being fed during the trans-Atlantic crossing. There is a single record of Gray Catbird from Ireland on Cape Clear, Co Cork, on 4 November 1986, plus one from Jersey, Channel Islands, during October – December 1975. These records do not form part of the British List. This addition brings the British List to 561 species 6 August 2002Minsmere, Suffolk Added to Category A of the British List The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Siberian Blue Robin Luscinia cyane to Category A of the British List following the acceptance of a bird seen at Minsmere, Suffolk on 23 October 2000. The bird was seen by only a few lucky observers for less than an hour, late in the afternoon of 23 October. It was not photographed, but was sufficiently well described to confirm identification beyond doubt. It was either a first year bird or an adult female. The species is known to be relatively commonly kept in captivity, but the circumstances of this record point towards the bird being a natural vagrant rather than an escape. The date and location were both consistent with natural occurrence, and coincided with the appearance of many other Siberian vagrants in Europe, including a remarkable 28 Radde’s Warblers (which share a similar range to Siberian Blue Robin) in the UK, a Brown Shrike in Germany and two Siberian Accentors in Finland. Another sighting of a Siberian Blue Robin occurred in Spain five days earlier. The Siberian Blue Robin breeds in Eastern Siberia and China and winters in Southeast Asia. There are only two previous records of the species in the Western Palearctic, one from Sark, Channel Islands on 27 October 1975 (the first record of the species away from its known breeding and wintering range) and the other from the Ebre Delta, Tarragona, Spain on 18 October 2000. This addition brings the British List to 560 species 30 July 2002At sea between the Isles of Scilly and France The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Red-billed Tropicbird Phaethon aethereus to Category A of the British List following acceptance of a bird seen and photographed at sea 20 miles (32 km) SSE of the Isles of Scilly on 7 June 2001. The bird was seen by just four lucky observers on a sailing holiday between the Isles of Scilly and France. They took three photographs which on their return to England, they showed to a birdwatcher friend who alerted them to the importance of the record. They submitted the photographs, a full description of the bird, finding circumstances and a copy of the ship’s log. An index print of the film showed images of the Isles of Scilly and France before and after the photographs of the bird thus confirming the locality of the sighting. Within the Western Palearctic, Red-billed Tropicbird breeds only on the Cape Verde Islands, but it also nests on Iles de la Madeleine off the coast of Senegal. Total numbers are probably fewer than 150 pairs. No regular migration patterns are known and the species is extremely rare elsewhere in the north east Atlantic. Prior to this record, the only European sighting was of one at sea 162 km west of Portugal on 13 August 1988. The photographs left the specific identification in no doubt but the bird could not be subspecifically assigned with certainty. It was considered by the Committee to be probably of the race mesonauta which, as well as breeding in the Cape Verde Islands and off Senegal, also nests in the Caribbean and in the eastern Pacific. This addition brings the British List to 559 species (Category A = 536; Category B = 13; Category C = 9). 15 February 2002Cliffe, Kent First record for Britain The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has accepted a record of Canvasback Aythya valisineria from Cliffe, Kent on 7 December 1996 as the first British record following prior acceptance of the identification by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC). This record occurred six weeks prior to the only other accepted British record, a well-watched male at Welney, Norfolk (18 January until 15 March 1997). The Kent bird was also a male, probably first-winter, and it would therefore seem likely that it was the same individual as the Welney bird. The two sites are approximately 70 miles apart. 24 January 2002Druridge Bay, Northumberland Added to Category A of the British List The British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris to Category A of the British List as a result of the acceptance of a bird seen and photographed at Druridge Bay, Northumberland from 4-7 May 1998. This is probably the most important record ever considered by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and BOURC, since it concerns a species which is threatened with global extinction and whose breeding grounds have never been found. Furthermore, its occurrence in recent decades has been restricted to very irregular sightings at a small number of sites from south and east Europe east to Kazakhstan, and a handful of individuals which have wintered more regularly at a single locality in Morocco. There has, however, been no verified record from the last site since February 1995. Consequently, the chances of this species appearing in Britain seemed impossibly remote. Furthermore the Northumberland individual is considered to have been in first-summer plumage, therefore proving that the species certainly bred somewhere in 1997, giving some hope for its survival and conservation. As if the record was not significant enough, opinions about the identification differed at the time, and speculation about the presence of a second small curlew added further controversy to the record. As a consequence of the controversy surrounding such a rare and relatively unknown species, the record has been given a more comprehensive, time-consuming and wide-ranging assessment than any previous record. BBRC member Jimmy Steele undertook a Herculean task of amassing all known information on the species. This included consulting world experts, particularly Didier Vangerluwe (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science, Brussels) who has systematically examined and photographed most of the known skins in European collections, and who has a database of all records dating back to the 19th Century as well as a collection of all known photographs. JS then prepared a file summarising all known information on the species, a collection of still photographs and video footage of the bird, taken by several different people. There were two circulations of BBRC between 1999 and 2001. At the end of the first circulation, some concerns expressed by members were then addressed by further extensive and detailed systematic analysis by JS on the features of Slender-billed Curlew and how these relate to the races of Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata and Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus. These concerns included the possibility of the bird being a hybrid or aberrant Eurasian Curlew, and the vexed question of the apparent second bird. All such concerns were satisfied during the second circulation, and in November 2001 BBRC voted for unanimous acceptance. The record then passed to the BOURC, as a first for Britain. The BOURC took the opportunity to have a full discussion of the record and to collectively review all the material at its meeting in December 2001. This was in order to minimise the risk of loss of the file (which was so large and heavy that the normal postal service was deemed too risky, and the cost of courier postage from member to member was too expensive), and so as not to delay a decision on the record any further. A 34-page summary of descriptions, notes and comments on the species in general, and this record in particular, was emailed to BOURC members before the meeting. At the meeting members were shown the collection of photographs and watched videos of the bird before fully discussing the record. Then, rather than circulate the entire file to each member in rotation, members were asked to study the 34-page summary and send in their assessment to the Committee Secretary by email. The BOURC usually conducts extensive research to assess the likelihood of any potential new bird on the British List having escaped from captivity. In the case of the Slender-billed Curlew, there is no evidence that the species has ever been held in captivity, so confirmation of the identification was all that was needed. In this, the BOURC would like to acknowledge the immense amount of work carried out by the BBRC Chairman and members. The outcome was a unanimous acceptance on to Category A of the British List (species which have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since January 1950). The bird was originally found and identified by Tim Cleeves and constitutes probably the most remarkable record in recent history. Papers on the finding, identification, assessment process and conclusions will be published soon in British Birds. This addition brings the British List to 557 species (Category A = 535; Category B = 13; Category C = 9). 15 January 2002Various localities in Britain and Ireland This is a joint Press Release, issued by the British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) in conjunction with the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) and the Northern Ireland Birdwatchers’ Association Records Committee (NIBARC). The occurrence of what was undoubtedly the same individual pale morph Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus crossing national boundaries required close co-operation between these three committees, as is recommended under the guidelines of the Association of European Rarities Committees (AERC), to ensure that all such records are handled consistently. All three committees have independently reached the same conclusion – that Booted Eagle should be added to Category D of their respective national lists (species that would otherwise appear in Category A except that there is reasonable doubt that they have ever occurred in a natural state). The assessment process has been prolonged for a number of reasons:
The first three factors were time-consuming. The fourth point was in the event not a problem, and the full and speedy co-operation between the three committee secretaries and members was a fine example of joint working, with each committee contributing information that was not available to the others. Most of the records were well documented and many were accompanied by photographs, leaving no doubt about the identification. The photographs confirmed that many of the records related to the same individual, from the characteristic damage to wing and tail feathers. All reports during the period were of pale morph birds and the bird photographed in Ireland could be aged as a juvenile. There are five reasons why none of the records is acceptable as the first British or Irish record eligible for Category A:
In the absence of photographic evidence, the three Kent records and the single Orkney record could not be proved to be different birds from the long-staying feather-damaged bird. However, there have been no other reports of Booted Eagle in Britain and Ireland before or since, and the timing of sightings accord with a single individual. Their categorisation was influenced by the factors which led to the decision by all three committees to place the species in Category D. For further information please 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 |
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