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2005 News and Decisionsfrom the Records Committee (BOURC)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~14 November 2005Admitted to Category A of the British List Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus Juvenile 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 – 14 November 2004 (sight record, trapped, photographed). 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). For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~14 October 2005Taxonomic 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 is on Category C of the British List. 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:
Both species are on Category A of the British List. Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Treat as two separate species:
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. 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:
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:
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):
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):
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.
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):
A PDF copy of the Ibis paper can be viewed at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2005.00483.x 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 –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~12 October 2005Changes to Category C of the British List With the publication of the Committee's review of Category C ( Ibis 147: 803-820) the following changes to the British List take immediate effect:
NOTE – the creation of Category C6 (Lady Amherst's Pheasant – see paper). The full paper can viewed at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2005.00470.x Citation : Dudley, S.P. 2005. Changes to Category C of the British List. Ibis 147 : 803-820. For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~21 September 2005Admitted to Category A of the British List Purple Martin Progne subis Juvenile 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 – 6 September 2004 (sight record, photographed). 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:
Two other species of North American hirundine have occurred in the Western Palearctic – 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). For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~15 September 2005Admitted to Category A of the British List Fea’s Petrel Pterodroma feae 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. 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/ors'” 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 = 548; Category B = 12; Category C = 10). For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~13 September 2005BOURC Appointments The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has appointed Andrew Lassey (Yorkshire) as an Ordinary Member of the Records Committee to replace retiring member Andrew Lassey lives in East Yorkshire were he spends at least six hours a day around his beloved Flamborough Head having taken early retirement in 1996. He set up an observatory-style recording system at Flamborough in 1974, established the Flamborough Ornithological Group, and in 2001 oversaw the accreditation of Flamborough to the bird observatory network. He has been ringing birds since 1974 and is Chairman of the East Yorkshire Ringing Group. During the 1990s he ran Flamingo Holidays leading trips throughout Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Siberia. He left the company in 1999 to concentrate on expedition-type studies in the Middle East and Kazakhstan. He has trapped over 5000 birds during over 100 trips to Siberia, Oman and Kazakhstan which has enabled him to amass an extensive library of in-the-hand photographs of many species and subspecies. He has an extensive list of interest species including a 20-year study on Lesser Whitethroats (and has handled all recognised races); Hippolais warblers; Isabelline group of shrikes; Phylloscopus warblers (including the chiffchaff complex and Plain Leaf Warbler); wheatears; and buntings. Lars Svensson lives in Torekov, south Sweden, and is widely respected as the author of the Identification Guide to Passerines originally published in 1970 and now into its 4 th edition. He was founder of the Swedish Rarities Committee in 1971, and its chairman for 15 years. He was awarded his PhD from Uppsala University in 2004, and his expertise in identification and taxonomy are recognised worldwide. He has travelled widely in the course of extensive ornithological research, encompassing both fieldwork and museum-based projects. His other publications include Fågelsång i Sverige ( Bird Song in Sweden – CD and booklet, in cooperation with Benny Andersson), 1990; Soviet Birds (cassette), 1984; The Hamlyn Guide to the Birds of Britain & Europe (in cooperation with Håkan Delin), 1986, and the Collins Bird Guide (in cooperation with Killian Mullarney & Dan Zetterström), 1999. He has authored numerous papers on identification and taxonomy in various journals, and is currently an identification consultant for Birding World and Dutch Birding . His appointment continues to build on the increasingly international and collaborative nature of the work of the TSC. Eric Meek, Chairman of BOURC commented, ‘ We are delighted to welcome Andrew Lassey and Lars Svensson to the BOURC and BOURC-TSC respectively. They both bring with them a fantastic wealth of expertise and will be invaluable in our deliberations. Central Asia, perhaps more than any other geographical region, is the area from where some of our most exciting vagrants emanate and where some of the most interesting taxonomic developments are taking place. Andrew and Lars, who have worked together in this region, are ideally placed to provide us with the very latest information from the area as well, of course, as having a great breadth of experience elsewhere. We look forward to working with them over the coming years'. For further information, you can contact –
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~6 July 2005Admitted to Category A of the British List Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee (BOURC) has admitted Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla to Category A of the British List following the occurrence of a first-summer male at Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire on 26-29 April 2003 (sight record, trapped, photographed). Taiga Flycatcher breeds across the high north Palearctic region east of c . 50 o E (east European Russia) from the Ural Mountains eastwards to eastern Siberia . Its breeding range overlaps that of Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva between 50 o E and 60 o E. Taiga Flycatcher winters in south-east Asia (southern Nepal , eastern India , Bangladesh , Bhutan , south-east China ). 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.” The British List now stands at 569 species (Category A = 547; Category B = 12; Category C = 10). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~17 June 2005Taxonomic 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.. Canada Goose Branta canadensis 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.
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 = 546; Category B = 12; Category C = 10). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~25 May 2005Taxonomic 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:
Both taxa are currently on the British List. 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 is on the British List. Supporting information relating to these decisions will be published separately. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~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 –
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