Additions to the IOC Western Palearctic list

Four more addition to the Western Palearctic list in recent weeks, including two Nearctic vagrants recorded in Oct 2018: Western Kingbird (Flores, Azores) and Blue Grosbeak (Corvo, Azores). The other two are additions to the Category C list in Portugal: Pin-tailed Whydah and Scaly-breasted Munia.

As part of the Portuguese review of Category C birds, it was concluded that Chestnut Munia was added incorrectly and was never self-sustaining. It has therefore been removed from the WP list.

Many thanks to the Bubo guys for their speedy updates again.

Graeme Joynt

Another addition to the Western Palearctic list, the record of a Jouanin's Petrel in Kuwait (May 2018) has now been formally accepted by KORC.

Two Category C species have been removed following the publication of the new official German List: Swan Goose and Yellow-headed Amazon.

Steppe Grey Shrike is also removed following the IOC decision to 'lump' this form within Great Grey Shrike.

Thanks to the Bubo guys for the usual speedy updates.

Cheers, Graeme Joynt

Another addition to the WP list. Asian House Martin has now been added, on the basis of a bird found dead in Lithuania in Oct 2016.

The Spanish have added 4 species to their Category C list and these have now been added to the IOC Western Pal list on BUBO. They are:

Red-masked Parakeet Psittacara erythrogenys
Red-whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus
Orange-cheeked Waxbill Estrilda melpoda
Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes

The first 3 are best found in the Valencia area and the last in Barcelona and Malaga.

The latest IOC update (9.2) added Stejneger's Scoter to the WP list as a split but removed Barbary Falcon, which is now lumped with Peregrine.

Thanks to the BUBO guys for the quick updates.

Cheers, Graeme Joynt

White-breasted Waterhen has been added to the IOC Western Palearctic list, as there is currently one at Jahra Pool Reserve, Kuwait.

Cheers, Graeme Joynt

Following recent IOC decisions, two new 'splits' are available on the IOC Western Palearctic list:

Eastern and Western Black-eared Wheatears; and
Hudsonian and Eurasian Whimbrels.

Cheers, Graeme Joynt

...and a third split from IOC 10.1 - Maghreb Owl of NW Africa has been split from Tawny Owl. Have now implemented this in the IOC Western Pal list too.

Surely Royal tern needs to be updated as African crested tern has not been recorded in Britain to American Royal Tern?
Although African has been suspected it’s not been proven and it has been split by the IOC.

Surely you need to update theRoyal tern situation now the IOC has split African Crested from American Royal.
American Royal is the only species on the British list, although African crested has been suspected but not proved.

The Royal Tern split isn't relevant in Britain, as we've only got one of them. (I've done some changes behind the scenes to deal with it). But it's a good point re the Western Pal - surely they've wandered up to the border in Mauretania?? Anyone know?

Yes Andy, both need to be on the WP list. West African Crested Tern is easy to see in both Mauritania and Western Sahara.

Cheers, Graeme Joynt

I would have thought it would affect the British list in the same way as the Fea’s complex.
As there has only been 2 identified American Royal terns and only one of which was twitchable rendering all other records as Royal sp.
At least the name in the list should be changed to American Royal surely?

Thanks - now added. Note that cos I've done this late, it won't use the same "splitting machinery" - folks will just have to add manually, apologies

Well yes, I suppose there are now also some unidentified Royal/WACT records from Britain. But we don't incorporate such into BUBO Listing, just full species.

P.S. The word "American" in Royal Tern is superfluous, as the African birds are referred to as West African Crested Tern, to denote their closer relationship with Greater Crested Tern

I see what your saying about the name American, but in this case where there is only one Royal tern that is tickable on the British list it will not flag up for people to change there totals accordingly.
I know this won’t make a lot of difference as when people lost Fea’s many seemed to tick Black capped petrel instead!

Ah yes, I understand the point. Hmm, without both having occurred in Britain, not much we can do about that really - just a matter of people keeping on top of their lists I'm afraid.

The beauty of BUBO is that at least you can see what/where a record is and take it into account. For instance - 11 people think the Common Nighthawk in Antrim is Britain BOU and one that America is Britain BOU! As you say people have to manage their own lists, as I doubt you guys have time to police it.

It’s such a shame, Bubo is a great idea and is the perfect platform for keeping as many lists as you want, but when people deliberately misuse the system it rather devalues the whole thing!
Count what you like but do it within the rules of the list your posting in, simple!

I disagree, but do understand your point if you are a competitive twitcher.
Personally I don't really care what others keep on their list. Who are they kidding anyway?
I only care what I put on my list, and BUBO is absolutely superb for recording what I have seen.

Nick that’s spot on but why would you choose a list for a particular area ie: British and put on birds from another country! One person has even put something on from the USA!
Put on what you like but stick to the rules of the particular list you are on or it doesn’t make sense
I personally keep myown list on a spreadsheet but my published lists obey the rules of that particular list. ie: British = BOU only.

There are two separate things here. On geography, it is clear that you should only include sightings for the relevant geographic area. It amused me tremendously seeing people who had lectured me on twitching foreign countries and lists actually twitching the Isle of Man Calandria Lark when they had always been 'Britain only'.

But otherwise, the recent taxonomic changes where the restrictive approach to identification or knowledge of diagnostic characters is limited has left many of us feeling out of kilter with BBRC and BOURC approaches. Every split seems to produce positions where notwithstanding that I had previously endeavoured to satisfy myself on the (sub)specific status of birds that I had seen, the official position is indecision, confusion, restrictive criteria and constant amendment.

In such circumstances, people who get excited about other people's personal views and lists just look a bit daft!

The Fea's Petrel removal is an interesting example. I had seen a Fea's/Zino's indeterminate well from a boat that seemed an obvious Fea's to me as well as an accepted Fea's Petrel. It bothered me not a jot that others counted 'official' indeterminates as Fea's Petrels as indeed I ticked my 'official' indeterminate. My money is on our birds being Fea's Petrels not Desertas in any event.

I am happier that the Llandudno bird was a West African Crested Tern and the Kerry bird was an (American) Royal Tern than I am that I have seen wild Canvasback and Redhead.....

Apologies to Graeme for the hijack and thanks to both him and Andy/Bubo. Now updated my lists.

All the best

Paul

No less than 6 additions to the IOC Western Pal list added recently:

Short-tailed Shearwater - Ireland and France
White-chinned Petrel - Scotland
Audubon's Shearwater - specimen from Denmark
Bay-backed Shrike - Kuwait, Sept 2020
Preuss's Cliff Swallow - Cape Verde, Sept 2020
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - Scotland, Sept 2020

Not many will be able to tick most of them though!

Cheers, Graeme Joynt

Warbling Vireo added to the IOC Western Palearctic list; one was on Corvo, Azores in Oct 2021.

Graeme Joynt

Horned Puffin has been added to the WP list. One photographed off Norway in 2009 has recently been accepted by the Norwegian RC.

Arabian Serin has been added to the WP list. This follows the discovery of breeding birds in the Gulf of Aqaba, within the WP section of Saudi Arabia.

Graeme Joynt

African Reed Warbler has been removed from the WP list as IOC have now lumped it with Eurasian Reed Warbler.

Cheers  Graeme Joynt 

The claim of Arabian Serin apparently relates to a misidentification, so this species has been removed from the list.

Graeme

Desert Whitethroat has been added to the WP list. IOC describe the wintering grounds as Arabia to India, with range maps indicating passage through Kuwait and Iraq.

Graeme Joynt 

Abdim's Stork has been added to the Western Palearctic list. One was photographed in Tunisia in July 2022.

Cheers, Graeme Joynt