Subject: Record Committee Decision 2022 [Print This Page] Author: HKBWS Tung Time: 16/05/2022 12:43 Subject: Record Committee Decision 2022
Record Committee did not organise a physical meeting in January 2022 due to no urgent matter to resolve for the time being and escalating covid situation. Discussion and assessment were conducted via emails and online platform.
At a meeting on 26 April 2022, the Record Committee made the following decisions.
Removal in Cat I
• Cinereous Tit Parus cinereus commixtus, the common taxon recorded in Hong Kong, was moved to place under Japanese Tit as Parusminor commixtus based on suggestion of IOC v1.6 (2008) and recent DNA study (in prep.). RC Checklist Sub-committee will also review the pended Japanese Tit records (those suggested as Parus m. minor) since the RC meeting on 23 August 2018.
Additions to Cat IIA
• Chinese Babax Pterorhinus lanceolatus was moved from Cat III to Cat IIA based on recent records at Tai Mo Shan which could be previously undetected due to changes of their suitable preferred habitat in previous years (2007-2018).
Taxonomy and HK List nomenclature changes:
It incorporates changes introduced in the recent IOC Bird List v11.2 and v12.1 species and taxonomic updates as follows:
English name of Stejneger’s Stonechat Saxicolar stejnegeri has changed to Amur Stonechat. The change was incorporated in HK List.
Greyish-crowned Leafbird Chloropsis lazuline was split from Orange-bellied Leafbird C. hardwickii based on phylogenetic divergence and plumage differences. This HK List also adopted this change.
IUCN Red List Status (in 2021)
Mountain Hawk Eagle has been uplisted from Least Concern (LC) to Near threatened (NT).
Chinese Grassbird has been downlisted from Vulnerable (VU) to Near threatened (NT).
The HK List now stands at 572 species in Cat I and II. An updated HK List will be published soon.
At a meeting on 20 Jun 2022, the Record Committee did not make decisions as records are being assessed.
- 20 URFs for Checklist Sub-committees and 6 URFs for the Main Record Committee. Most of the 2020 and 2021 URF assessment could be completed within this year.
- IOC version 12.2 (draft): there is no update on the HK List.
The HK List still stands at 572 species in Cat I and II.
At a meeting on 7 Nov 2022, the Record Committee made the following decisions:
Additional to Cat I
• Flesh-footed Shearwater Ardenna carneipes, 20 March 2022 at Po Toi
• Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus, 23 January 2022 at Stanley.
• Tree Pipit Anthus trivialis, on 3 March 2022 at Mai Po fishpond. The other two records (i.e. 23 February 2022 at the same Mai Po fishpond, and on 3 January 2022 at Tai Po Tin) were found from photos after the first record, though dates were earlier than that of this record.
The HK List now stands at 575 species in Cat I and II. An updated HK List will be published later.
The following new subspecies records were reviewed and accepted for HK:
• Common Cuckoo (subspecies subtelephonus), 20 May 2020, Mai Po
• Mew Gull (subspecies heinei), 18 January 2021, Mai Po boardwalk
• Peregrine Falcon (subspecies pealei), 22 December 2021, Mai Po
Removal of URF submission requirement
The following species would be removed from URF submission: Alstrom’s Warbler and Chinese Barbet.
Taxonomy and HK List nomenclature changes
It incorporates changes in IOC v.12.2 into HK List:
• Eastern Osprey Pandion cristatus was re-lumped with Western Osprey P. haliaetus as simply “Osprey”. English name of Pandion haliaetus was restored to Osprey.
• Genus of Pale-footed Bush Warbler changes from Urosphena to Hemitesia , new scientific name is Hemitesia pallidipes.
The next meeting is scheduled in early January 2023.
