bird lists

[Noel Luff <>]

As a follow up to my original post I would like to respond to some of the comments.

I have now learnt that Birdlife Australia’s list is based on HBW/BLI. I had assumed that it was independently derived. I had based this assumption on the fact that the Masked Lapwing had not been split into two full species (Masked Lapwing and Black-shouldered Lapwing) as it is in HBW/BLI.

As for hybrids the rule I follow is to exclude them from any totals. They should of course be recorded and reported. Hybrids that show more of the traits of one of the species that has been involved in the breeding could create a problem. I have stated before that there are no hard and fast rules as to what goes on your list so it would be up to the individual birder to resolve.

A related problem is identifying sub-species. This is especially a problem in the intergrade zones between sub-species. Quite often it can be impossible to attribute a particular bird to sub-species.

Whether you are keeping a list for your own satisfaction or as part of a “competition”(e.g. the Tony Pallister list mentioned in my previous post) the main thing to realise is that it is supposed to be fun.