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Birders often find themselves "put on the spot"
to produce details for rare species observed.
Those unfamiliar with the concept of producing written
details or providing documentation of a sighting may feel
somewhat persecuted when informed that their "say-so"
is not good enough to make a record legitimate.
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The initial enthusiasm and excitement of finding and reporting
a good bird can quickly turn to disappointment, discouragement,
and depression when their undocumented record is treated
with skepticism by the local or regional "experts."
Unfortunately, this treatment is something that most of
us have had to endure during developmental stages of our
bird-watching skills. Many birders understand the importance
of taking field notes and documenting rarities but may
only rarely or irregularly practice such good habits because
they find it tedious, it requires "work" that
takes the fun out of their hobby, they are too busy to
"get around to it," they assume that someone
else will do it, or they just are not sure what is needed
or how to write up such details.
At some point, all birders have probably been guilty of
observing a rarity for which they have never written notes
or supplied any documentation. Many undoubtedly valid
records have not been documented beyond mention in the
local newsletter or American Birds, if the record even
made it that far. Numerous historical sight-records, especially
those prior to the mid-197Os, are missing supporting details.
Many others are supported by details gleaned from observers'
rusty memories decades after the observation. Although
the recent trend is toward more and better documentation,
some birders are still not recording information on their
sightings beyond keeping simple lists of species and numbers.
This omission is unfortunate because each observation
of an unusual bird could become an important contribution
to the ornithological record; unsupported "hearsay"
records (e.g., "tick marks" on checklists) must
remain hypothetical or be ignored. If observers make no
effort to document unusual birds, then they should not
be surprised if these records fail to gain acceptance
or be published.
Birders now generate many of today's data on species'
distributions and field-identification aspects of North
American ornithology. Most professional ornithologists
recognize that the large volume of data generated by birders,
especially that involving extralimital records, cannot
and should not be ignored just because most of it is not
based on specimen evidence. There has been considerable
debate, however, over what sorts of other documentation
are acceptable. In recent years, rare-bird committees
(RBCs) have been formed in most states, provinces, and
many foreign countries (Roberson 1990) to help bridge
the gap between specimen and non-specimen records. RBCs
are composed of experienced amateur and professional ornithologists.
The RBC process includes acquisition and protection of
rare-bird documentation, evaluation by a panel of knowledgeable
peers, and publication of proceedings. Many RBCs that
must limit the volume of records they receive (or be overwhelmed)
compile a review list. Review lists typically contain
species that average only a few occurrences annually,
representing the rarest of the rare species. Documentation
for "lesser" rarities may be requested by some
RBCs, as well as by regional ornithological societies
and bird clubs, American Birds regional editors, and Christmas
Bird Count compilers. Although a particular species may
not be on its respective state or provincial review list,
records pertaining to unusual seasonal occurrences (e.g.,
early or late migrants, unusual summer or winter records)
may also require documentation for evaluation and subsequent
acceptance.
Still looking for Main, try starting back at our
homepage. |
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| Bird rescue & bird adoption;
parrot refuge/rescue & placement for unwanted birds. |
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| Check out our list of local
birds broken down by your state and different types of
species. |
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| Migrating birds stay on track
because of chemical reactions in their bodies that are
influenced by the Earth's magnetic field... |
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December 12, 2007
H5N1 bird flu new sites found in Poland.
December 09, 2007
Audubon objects to re-homing parrots. Parrot fans get 4-month
deadline.
November 27, 2007
Problem parakeets euthanized.
November 13th, 2007
Against the concerns of some, Mango Hummingbird rehomed in
Brookfield Zoo.
October 15th, 2007
Rare Mango Hummingbird found in Wisconsin.
August 16th, 2006
Yacolt Wa, residents take a liking to wild parrots.
October 12-14, 2007
Georgia's 5th Annual Colonial Coast Birding & Nature
Festival will take place October 12th-14th at Jekyll Island,
GA..
September 12-16, 2007
Hawk Mountain to host 2007 Raptor Conference
Billed as the largest single gathering of raptor experts
in the last 20 years. The first-ever joint conference of the
Raptor Research Foundation (RRF) and the Hawk Migration Association
of North America (HMANA)
August 11, 2007
Kern Valley Hummingbird Celebration Visit
the Kern River Preserve to witness the HUMMINGBIRD CAPITAL
OF CALIFORNIA. Hundreds of hummingbirds zooming about your
head is what you can expect at the Kern River Valley hummingbird
celebration. Workshops, field trips, and demonstrations.
Oct. 8-14, 2007
75th Federal Duck Stamp Contest & “Ding”
Darling Days
Celebrate the Art of Conservation To celebrate
the 75th anniversary of the Federal Duck Stamp, the judging
for the winning 2008-2009 stamp will take place on Sanibel
Island, where the father of the Duck Stamp, Jay Norwood “Ding”
Darling, helped establish a refuge that today bears his name.
 April
9, 2006
-- BBC News
Animal rescue teams have been working to save 35 swans and
ducks after an oil spill on Southampton's River Itchen.
March
3, 2006
-- BBC News
The only known habitat of India's rarest bird may yet be saved
from destruction in a last-minute effort to re-route an irrigation
canal...
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