Records Committee (BOURC)
29th Report (October 2002)
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. p & p).
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
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.
Publications from members of BOU Records Committee and
Taxonomic Sub-committee relating to the British List since the previous
report (Ibis 144: 181-184)
Bradshaw, C. 2002. Mystery photograph or a first for
Britain? Brit. Birds 95: 12–16.
Bradshaw, C. 2002. Rare seabirds and a record of
Herald Petrel. Brit. Birds 95: 156–165.
Bradshaw, C. 2002. Dodgy ducks, grotty geese and
suspect ‘Sibes’ – editorial comment. Brit. Birds 95: 196–197.
Bradshaw, C. 2002. Comments on ‘The Slender-billed
Curlew at Druridge Bay, Northumberland in 1998’. Brit. Birds 95:
299.
Bradshaw, C. 2002. The Dungeness petrel – a
response from the BBRC. Brit. Birds 95: 461–464.
Bradshaw, C. 2002. Does plate 164 really show the
Slender-billed Curlew? Brit. Birds 95: 464–465.
Harrop, A.H.J. 2002. The Ruddy Shelduck in Britain: a
review. Brit. Birds 95: 123–128.
Helbig, A.J., Knox, A.G., Parkin, D.T., Sangster, G.
& Collinson, M. 2002. Guidelines for assigning species rank. Ibis
144: 518–525.
Knox, A.G., Collinson M., Helbig, A.J. Parkin, D.T. & Sangster, G. 2002. Taxonomic recommendations for British birds. Ibis 144:
707–710.
McGowan, R.Y. 2002. Racial identification of Pallid
Swift. Brit. Birds 95: 454–455.
McGowan, R.Y. & Weir, D.N. 2002. Racial
identification of Fair Isle Solitary Sandpiper. Brit. Birds 95:
313–314.
Meek, E.R. 2002. Comments on ‘The Slender-billed
Curlew at Druridge Bay, Northumberland in 1998’. Brit. Birds 95:
299.
Sangster, G., Knox, A.G., Helbig, A.J. & Parkin, D.T.
2002. Taxonomic recommendations for European birds. Ibis 144:
153–159.
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, Alan Knox, Phil Palmer, David Parkin,
Dennis Paulson, Richard Porter, Peter Robinson, Mike Rogers, George Sangster
and Grahame Walbridge for all their help, and apologise to any others we
have omitted to mention by name.
Committee Membership
Since publication of the last report, Tony Marr has
retired from his position as Chairman and from the Committee itself. During
his time as Chairman, Tony Marr made a great deal of progress towards making
the BOURC more accessible in the eyes of the birdwatching public. The
Committee and the BOU are grateful to him for all his hard work. Eric Meek
replaces Tony as Chairman of the Committee and the arising vacancy has been
taken by Dr Martin Collinson. Martin is a member of the Taxonomic
Sub-committee and is well known for his ability to make taxonomic matters
more understandable through his contributions to popular ornithological
journals and magazines.
The following served on the Committee during the period
covered by this report (with expected year of retirement):
-
Eric Meek (Chairman) (2006)
-
Tony Marr (Chairman, retired)
-
Tim Melling (Secretary) (2003)
-
Martin Collinson (2009)
-
Paul Harvey (2003)
-
Andrew Harrop (2007)
-
Ian Lewington (2005)
-
Bob McGowan (2008)
-
Tony Prater (2006)
-
Roger Wilkinson (2004)
-
Colin Bradshaw (BBRC representative)
British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee, The Natural History Museum, Akeman
Street, Tring, Hertfordshire HP23 6AP UK.
• Email: bourc.sec@bou.org.uk
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