BIRDS AUSTRALIA RARITIES COMMITTEE (BARC) - October 1998 update
This column is intended to provide birding-aus readers with a regular
update of cases new, outstanding and completed. This being a note that
will hopefully be a regular monthly post to birding-aus. For those that
are interested a full account of each decision will be published as part
of the Birds Australia Report Series at a later date, it is also hoped
to have a summary published in Wingspan in the near future. Enquiries to
Tony Palliser (Chairman) or other committee members.
Other Committee members: Paul Andrew, Mike Carter, John Hatch, Bob
Patterson, Danny Rogers and Bob Swindley. Current proxy members: Dion
Hobcroft, David James, Niven McCrie and Tim Reid.
Case 246 (see accepted cases below) concerns a black-and-white
shearwater found ashore at night on Phillip Island in the Norfolk Group
sitting alongside a Kermadec Petrel Pterodroma neglecta. Not knowing
the identity, the bird was photographed prior to release and the
subsequent information forwarded to New Zealand and then on to BARC for
review. Newell?s Shearwater is a rare, perhaps endangered, species
which breeds in the Hawaiian Islands and winters in the tropical
Pacific. There is one beach-cast specimen from the North Island of New
Zealand (M. Imber pers. comm.). Townsend?s Shearwater breeds on
Revillagigedo Islands off Western Mexico and disperses seawards up to
500 miles in all directions, so is very unlikely to occur this far
west. Manx Shearwater has occurred as a vagrant in both Australia and
New Zealand. This account represents the first confirmed record of
this species for Australia.
NEW CASES RECEIVED OR REOPENED (During September/October 1998).
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250 White Wagtail Motacilla alba: Durak River,WA 17/10/97
251 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula Lake Connawarre, VIC 10/01/98
252 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Broome, WA 24/08/98
253 Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Darwin, NT 20/09/98
254 Baird's Sandpiper Calidris bairdii Pittown, Windsor, NSW 05/10/98
CASES CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW (Including those requiring expert
opinion or more than one round of voting).
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206 Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica: off Sydney,NSW 08/06/96
208 Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica: Mossman,QLD 19/02/96
216 Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis: Miallo,QLD 15/03/96
223 Matsudaira's SP Oceanodroma matsudairae: nw of Dampier,WA 26/09/68
224 Matsudaira's SP Oceanodroma matsudairae: nw Lacepedes,WA 09/11/80
225 Matsudaira's SP Oceanodroma matsudairae: off nw WA 14/10/96
231 Westland Petrel Procellaria westlandica: Wollongong,NSW 28/07/96
238 House Swift Apus affinis: Edgeworth,NSW 24/12/97
239 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus: Darwin,NT 04/03/98
240 Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis: Broome,WA 23/01/98
243 Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis: Lacepede Islands,WA 17/12/97
244 Franklin's Gull Larus pipixcan: Broome,WA 29/12/96
245 Black-backed Wagtail Motacilla lugens: Glendale, NSW 04/04/98
247 Oriental Reed Warbler Acrocephalus orientalis, Broome, WA Date: TBA
248 White Wagtail Motacilla alba Clear Lake, NSW 20-Nov-97
249 Franklin's Gull Larus pipixcan Southbank, Brisbane, QLD 18-Jun-98
CASES ACCEPTED (August 1998)
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246 Newell's Shearwater P. aricularis newelli: Norfolk Is 02/12/97
CASES NOT ACCEPTED (August 1998)
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233 American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica: Pittown,NSW 22/11/97
Regards
Tony Palliser
Chairman.....Birds Australia Rarities Committee
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