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2004 News and Decisionsfrom the Records Committee (BOURC)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~2 November 2004Black 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.” The British List now stands at 568 species (Category A = 547; Category B = 12; Category C = 9). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~19 August 2004Records of non-native birds in the UK A joint appeal from the BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE and RARE BIRDS BREEDING PANEL The Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) has, since 1996, monitored the establishment and spread of many non-native species breeding within the UK and produces an annual report (published in British Birds) detailing, county by county, the numbers and breeding status of these species. The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) is responsible for the maintenance of the British List and the categorisation of species on the List. The two bodies work together in relation to introduced species. In the current context, the two relevant British List categories are defined as follows:
Species on Category C form part of the official British List, those on Category E do not (unless they are species on Categories A, B or C of the List). The BOURC uses the information gathered by RBBP to decide whether a species may be eligible for elevation from Category E to Category C and makes recommendations to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) accordingly. In this way, changes to our national avifauna can be tracked, status changes recorded, official lists updated and information gathered that helps us better understand the effects of humans on bird populations. It has become apparent that the data submitted on non-native species, on which the RBBP bases its annual report, are far from comprehensive and that the overall picture of the status of many species is thus incomplete. There are several reasons for this. Some observers may be unaware of the need to record introduced species. Others may show a marked disinterest in submitting such records to their county recorders and that, in turn, makes it impossible for the recorders to provide RBBP with the information required. BOURC, RBBP and JNCC believe that it is very important to maintain an up-to-date and comprehensive view of the status of introduced non-natives species. Also, one of the key recommendations of Defra's recent Non-native Species Working Group's review of policy (www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/resprog/findings/non-native/report.pdf) was to "Establish adequate monitoring and surveillance for non-native species in Great Britain." We therefore appeal to all observers to submit records of non-native species seen in the wild to their county recorders. In this context, we would ask for records of all species on Category C (except Red-legged Partridge and Common Pheasant) and Category E, but not those with the joint categorisation AC (see BOU Website for full British List). For any non-natives falling into those categories, it would be very helpful to submit full details, including (where known) locality, date, numbers, age/sex and especially breeding activity/status. Only in this way will we be able to monitor the status of these species to the ultimate benefit of our native avifauna. For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 August 2004BOURC appointments The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has appointed Steve Votier (University of Glasgow) as an Ordinary Member of the Committee to replace retiring member Roger Wilkinson (Chester Zoo). Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented, ‘Steve Votier joins the BOURC as the Committee's youngest member but with a wealth of experience of which many older ornithologists would be proud. He is one of a small number who successfully combine an academic career in ornithology with an avid interest in birding. He is a former Assistant Warden on Fair Isle and his research into the Bonxies of Foula is well known as is his involvement in the ongoing saga of the probable occurrence of Brown Skuas in Britain. However, he is also a keen migrant finder (as the ever growing list of vagrants on Foula attests) with a particular interest in the detailed examination of birds in the hand. We look forward to Steve's input into the ever-expanding work of the BOURC'. The Committee is delighted that Roger Wilkinson will continue his long association with BOURC having agreed to serve as the Committee's captive bird and zoo consultant. Eric Meek commented ‘determining the escape likelihood of all potential additions to the British List is extremely important and Roger has provided an invaluable service to the Committee with his knowledge of and access to the captive bird and the zoo industries. We are very pleased he has agreed to continue in this new consultant role'. For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~28 June 2004Admitted to the British List Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii Dungeness, Kent; 5 – 7 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 one". The British List now stands at 567 species A joint Press Release from BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE and BRITISH BIRDS RARITIES COMMITTEE For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7 May 2004Subspecies admitted to the British List Woodchat Shrike, subspecies Lanius senator badius Portland, Dorset; 10 May 1986 The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted the Mediterranean race of Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator badius to the British List following the occurrence of an adult male of this subspecies at Portland, Dorset on 10 May 1986 (sight record). This is the first, and to date, only British record of this subspecies of Woodchat Shrike which is known to breed only on Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. It is distinguishable mainly by the absence of (or greatly reduced) white primary patch, and this feature was accurately detailed in the written descriptions submitted to support the record. Other features are the slightly less black on the forehead and a slightly heavier bill, but these two features are difficult to determine in the field and are best considered as ‘in the hand' features. Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented, ‘Once again, consideration of this record illustrated the importance of taking comprehensive field notes. One observer's attention to detail allowed the members of BOURC to be unanimous in their acceptance of this new taxon for the British List. Although this record predates the era of ‘digiscoping', even today observers should be aware of the advantages of taking notes as well as photographs.' The British List remains on 566 species A joint Press Release from BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION RECORDS COMMITTEE and BRITISH BIRDS RARITIES COMMITTEE For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4 March 2004Changes to the British List Allen's Gallinule Porphyrula alleni The species was on Category B of the List on the basis of one off Norfolk in January 1902. Macqueen's Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii Following the recommendation of the BOURC's Taxonomic Sub-committee's (TSC) decision to ‘split' Houbara Bustard C. undulata and Macqueen's Bustard C. macqueenii (Ibis 144: 707-710), all five British records have been reviewed the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and BOURC and all have been accepted as Macqueen's Bustard. The Suffolk record above is the only record after 1 January 1950, which qualifies the species for Category A. Houbara Bustard C. undulata is removed from the British List. See - Sangster, G., Collinson, M., Helbig, A.J., Knox, A.G. and Parkin, D.T. 2004. The taxonomic status of Macqueen's Bustard British Birds 97: 60-67. Sykes's Warbler Hippolais rama Following the recommendation of its Taxonomic Sub-committee (TSC), BOURC has accepted the elevation to species status of Sykes's Warbler Hippolais rama (formerly considered a race of Booted Warbler Hippolais caligata). As a result, all British records of trapped Booted Warblers have been reviewed by BBRC to establish if any could be assigned to Syke's Warbler H. rama. On the basis of biometrics, several were found to be identifiable as Syke's Warbler, and BOURC have accepted Fair Isle record above as the first British record. The number of species on the British List (cats A, B, C) stands at 566. For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~22 January 2004Long-tailed Shrike Howmore, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland Added to Category A of the British List The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has added Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach to Category A of the British List following the occurrence of a bird at Howmore, South Uist, Outer Hebrides, Scotland on 3-4 November 2000 (sight record, photo). A shrike sp. reported from nearby Howbeg on 27 October was probably this bird. Long-tailed Shrike breeds from Kazakhstan and Turkmeniya east through China, Taiwan, Philippines, Indochina, Greater and Lesser Sundas to New Guineau. The race erythronotus is migratory in the northern part of its range (Kazakhstan and Turkmeniya) and it winters alongside resident erythronotus in northern India. There are extra-limital records from Japan (2), Oman (several), Israel (1) and Turkey (1). This Uist bird arrived during a period in which other eastern vagrants were found in Britain, including a Brown Shrike on Fair Isle on 21 October, Isabelline Shrikes in Yorkshire 8-10 November, Tyneside 9-21 November and Wexford 20-30 November. There were also Turkestan and Steppe Grey Shrikes reported in Europe around the same time. Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented, ‘the identification of the South Uist Long-tailed Shrike to species level posed no problems and the question of whether the species should be added to the British List revolved entirely around the possibility of it having escaped from captivity. Plumage characters showed that it was in its first winter and that it was probably of the migratory race erythronotus from the northern part of the species' range. We could not be absolutely certain of the race as two characters (lilac tinge to the neck and white above the eye) were indicative of the race caniceps, a race that has a more southerly distribution than erythronotus though contiguous with it. We could find no evidence of either erythonotus or caniceps being kept in captivity although the nominate form L. s. schach is. However, even schach appears to be currently very rare in trade in Europe. With a captive origin highly improbable, a likely date and locality and a good supporting cast of eastern vagrants, BOURC were unanimous in accepting Long-tailed Shrike onto Category A of the British List'. This addition means that the British List is now 566 species (Category A = 543; Category B = 14; Category C = 9). For further information, you can contact –
This is a joint press release of:
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