The Main List contains 853 species of bird currently extant in Australia, 9
species from Australia now extinct in the world and 5 species now extinct in
Australia but extant elsewhere in the world, giving a total of 867
Australian birds
COMPARISONS with the 1994 CHECKLIST
64 species are added to the main list. Of these:
11 are the result of taxonomic splits -
Vanuatu Petrel - one specimen but ID not assessed by BARC
Linchi Swiftlet
Variable Goshawk
Short-tailed Grasswren
Kalkadoon Grasswren
Kimberley Honeyeater
Western Wattlebird
Arafura Fantail
Pacific Robin
Buff-sided Robin
Green-headed Yellow Wagtail
1 is due to extended coverage to include the Australian Antarctic
Territory -
Kerguelen Pintail - specimen record not assessed by BARC
1 introduced bird now with viable established populations -
Barbary Dove
2 introduced birds with viable populations upgraded from Supplementary
List -
Helmeted Guineafowl
Green Junglefowl
9 upgraded from the Supplementary List because of BARC accepted records -
Atlantic Petrel
Laysan Albatross
Grey Heron
Green Sandpiper
Nordmann's Greenshank
American Golden Plover
Brown Shrike
Pechora Pipit
Singing Starling
5 upgraded from the Supplementary List though not assessed by BARC
Kerguelen Shag - specimen record
Corncrake - specimen record
Lesser Black-backed Gull - band recovered from dead bird
Buffy Fish-Owl - specimen record
House Crow - specimens in WA Museum & other reports
2 new species not assessed by BARC
Tiger Shrike - specimen record
Black-billed Magpie - 2 reports but no specimens so NOT
admissable
33 BARC accepted new species - too numerous to list here.
Removals are:
1. - 4 Species from the Main List on taxonomic grounds -
Snares Penguin - a peculiar decision?
Gould's Bronze-Cuckoo - always contentious
Lesser Sooty Owl
Black-backed Wagtail
2. - 15 Species in 1994 Supplementary List: Their reasons and some guesses
at possible thinking!
Baikal Teal - likely confusion with Garganey?
Amsterdam Albatross - not now regarded as full species.
Chinese Egret - no real evidence?
Eastern Marsh Harrier - surprising as must be a possibility.
Oriental Hobby - confusion over species involved in claim on Christmas
Island (Eurasian Hobby intended). Another erroneous claim.
Eurasian Curlew - surprising, as at least one only just failed acceptance.
Long-billed Dowitcher - original claim shown to be Short-billed Dowitcher.
Western Sandpiper - lacked even rudimentary evidence.
Temminck's Stint - several claims not pursued.
Cox's Sandpiper - shown to be a hybrid.
Rusty-tailed Gerygone - shown to be a variant of another species.
Tawny Pipit - shown to be an error.
Gray's Grasshopper Warbler - surprising as there have been several claims.
Pale-bellied Myna - escapees and failed introduction
Hill Myna - escapees and failed introduction
3. - Species reported between 1994 and 2008 omitted or overlooked for
inclusion in the Supplementary List:
Grey-headed Goshawk; [likely confusion with very pale form of local race of
another perhaps undescribed Goshawk]
Chinese Goshawk - ID too difficult?
Japanese Sparrowhawk - ID too difficult?
Dark-rumped Swift - ID too difficult?
Mossy-nest Swiftlet - ID too difficult?
Frill-necked Monarch - specific status not confirmed.
Northern Wheatear - surprising because evidence was quite strong.
So now to my list!
I've recorded 794 or 795 from the Main List which means there
are 59 or 60 possibles that I haven't seen - (not sure whether to count
Bayside's Barbary Doves!) plus 7 from the new Supplementary List - Western
Reef Egret, Eurasian Hobby, Saunders's Tern, Brown-backed Needletail (not
accepted by BARC), Middendorff's Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher (already
accepted by BARC) and Streak-headed Mannikin, plus 2 occurrences since the
deadline for this tome, Eurasian Curlew and Fairy Pitta.
That totals 802/3.
Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza VIC 3930
Tel (03) 9787 7136
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