In July 2023, the Record Committee did not call for a meeting and assessments were conducted via emails and online platform.
At a meeting on 3 October 2023, the Record Committee made the following decisions:
Addition to Cat I of HK List
- Tibetan Sand Plover
Charadrius atrifrons, Deep Bay area, several records and probably annual
- Mountain Scops Owl
Otus spilocephalus latouchi, Ng Tung Chai, 30 December 2022
- (Revised) Tree Pipit
Anthus trivialis, Mai Po, 3 March 2022 (same individual was also reported on 23 February 2022), other individual was at Tai Po Tin on 3 January 2022. In total, two individuals were accepted.
The HK list now stands at 578 species in Cat I and II. An updated HK List will also be published.
Addition to Cat III of HK List
- Jerdon’s Baza
Aviceda jerdoni, Lung A Pai, Lam Tsuen, 22 December 2022
Asymmetric feather damages were noted on primaries and remiges which were different from normal moulting condition, suggesting that could be cage damage.
The following first HK subspecies is accepted by Checklist Sub-committee during the RC meeting
- Chinese Bulbul
Pycnonotus sinensis (spp.
hainaus), Shui Hau, Lantau, 26 Jan 2023.
Species require further reviews/discussion:
- Masked Bunting
Emberiza personata, Long Valley, 4 February 2013.
- Scaly-sided Mergenser
Mergus squamatus, Tai Lam Country Park, 20 January 2023.
- Stejneger’s Scoter
Melanitta stejnegeri, two previous records (at Pak Nai, 5 Feb 1982 and from Tsim Bei Tsui, 26 December 1985) might not have sufficient details for current identification criteria. These records will be reviewed by Checklist Sub-committee.
Discrepancy of Chinese names
Due to different bird books, literatures and checklists (from Hong Kong and China mainland) using different set of Chinese names over the past 10 years, some bird species appear to have more than one Chinese name and cause some confusion. HKBWS Record Committee main committee members made reviews and suggestions to adopt the Chinese names for all Category I and II bird species in Hong Kong List, that aims to standardize the Chinese names used in Hong Kong and minimize confusion. It is found that a total of 45 species have different Chinese names in the Hong Kong List, 23 species will follow the names in the Checklist of birds of China (version 10), and the rest 22 species will be retained the names commonly used in Hong Kong.
Removal of URF submission requirement:
- Sakhalin Leaf Warbler
Phylloscopus borealoides
Taxonomy and HK List nomenclature changes
IOC version 13.2, several splits mentioned before are now confirmed, and other changes:
- Tibetan Sand Plover
Charadrius atrifrons was split from Lesser Sand Plover
C. mongolus, which is re-named to Siberian Sand Plover.
- Greyish-crowed Leafbird
Chloropsis lazuline was relump with Orange-bellied Leafbird
Chloropsis hardwickii.
- Northern Goshawk
Accipiter gentilis is renamed to Eurasian Goshawk, as American Goshawk
A. atricapillus was split from the Northern Goshawk.
- Japanese Paradise Flycatcher
Terpsiphone atrocaudata and Japanese Reed Bunting
Emberiza yessoensis are suggested to change to Black Paradise Flycatcher and Ochre-rumped Bunting. The HKBWS Record Committee is not in favour of following these changes. The new name Black Paradise Flycatcher in fact cannot reflect better of its plumage features as the subspecies
T.a. atrocaudata does not have black plumage at all but notably dark marron colour on mantle, while Ochre-rumped Bunting cannot reflect its close relation to “reed buntings” (i.e. Common and Pallas’s Reed Buntings
Emberiza schoeniclus and
E. pallasi).
- Genus name of White-bellied Sea Eagle is changed from
Haliaeetus to
Icthyophaga:
White-bellied Sea Eagle Icthyophaga leucogaster
- The following orders of bird will have changes in sequence in the Hong Kong List
- Chats and Old World Flycatchers
- Parrotbills have merge and re-merges of genus:
- Vinous-throated Parrotbill, from Sinosuthora webbiana to Suthora webbiana
- Spot-breasted Parrotbill, from Paradoxornis guttaticollis to Paradoxornis guttaticollis
- Ashy-throated Parrotbill from Sinosuthora alphonsiana to Suthora alphonsiana
- Due to lumping of Horsfield’s Bush Lark
Mirafra javanica to Singing Bush Lark
M. cantilans, the English name of Horsfield Bush Lark is changed Singing Bush Lark
M. javanica.
- Tentatively lumping of Desert Whitethroat
Curruca minula (including
margelanica) and Hume's Whitethroat
C. althaea with Lesser Whitethroat
C. curruca, there was no change in HK List.
RC secretary Carrie Ma will step down from her role in December 2023 after completing the current tasks. Record Committee Chairman and all members are very grateful for all her great contribution to the committee.
The next meeting is scheduled in mid-January 2024.
Record Committee Chairman
Yat-tung Yu