Colorado Bird Records Committee update

[Doug Faulkner]

Hello all:

Since the CBRC will not have a report in the upcoming Colorado Birds issue, I wanted to take this opportunity to bring folks up-to-date on some recent CBRC happenings.

First, thank you to everyone who submitted documentations in 2013.  We received 358 separate documentations for 293 rare bird occurrences.  We’ve averaged about 180 documented rare bird occurrences since 2000, so last year was well above normal.  These will take us a while to get through, so please bear with us. 

Second, the CBRC has a new website (www.coloradobirdrecords.org).   This website would not have been possible without the CFO membership and the CFO Board of Directors.  As a standing committee of CFO, the CBRC aims to provide a valuable resource to its membership.  I hope you will take the time to check out the website to review and use some of the new functions that we did not have on the old site (like searching the CBRC database).

Third, the CBRC recently voted to remove eight species and one subspecies/form from the Main Review List.   Those that do not need to be documented for the entire state starting in 2014 are:

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

Laughing Gull

Blue-headed Vireo

Philadelphia Vireo          

Gray-cheeked Thrush

Sprague’s Pipit

Golden-winged Warbler

Red Fox Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

As former Main Review List species, potential first county records for these eight species and Red Fox Sparrow should still be documented.  If you go to the CBRC website, click on “What to Report”, a list of all species that the CBRC requests documentation for will populate.  The above nine species/forms now have a “Show Counties” tab that will let you know which counties the species should be documented for.  As first county records are obtained, I’ll remove those counties from the show counties tab.  However, some counties will remain highlighted if a species is considered rare for that part of the state (for instance, Buff-breasted Sandpiper on the West Slope).

Don’t fret, however, since there are 119 species still on the Main Review List.  You’ll have plenty of opportunity to submit documentations in 2014!

Lastly, the CBRC will have a report in the spring issue of Colorado Birds providing more details on the status of the nine species/forms removed from the Main Review List, as well as any new state records (hint, hint) that the CBRC has recently reviewed.

Thanks again and good birding,

Doug Faulkner

CBRC Chair