Record Committee Decision 2025
At a meeting on 21 January 2025, the Record Committee made the following decisions:
Addition to Cat I
• Black Eagle Ictinaetus malaiensis – recorded at Po Toi on 31 October 2023
With increasing records in neighbouring region (i.e. Pearl River Delta), good plumage condition, suitable location and date of this record, this species is added into Cat I of the Hong Kong bird list.
Addition to Cat III
• Little Pied Flycatcher Ficedula westermanni – recorded at Po Toi on 7 December 2023
Given this species’ natural distribution, being sedentary and date of this record, this bird is more likely not of natural origin.
• Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja – recorded at Tuen Mun on 24 December 2023 and Po Toi on 4-6 January 2024
Evidence of feather damage and sub-urban location of the first record suggests it may have originated from captivity. The second record refers to an individual which could not be assigned to subspecies identification due to lack of good quality photos. In addition, different species of sunbird were found in the local bird market in that period. All these are favour to place this species in Category III based on these available information.
New subspecies record
• Ornate Sunbird Cinnyris ornatus subspecies flammaxillaris – recorded at Lion Nature Education Centre, Sai Kung on 18 November 2024
This is a similar case to the Little Pied Flycatcher. Given this species’ natural distribution, being sedentary and date of this record, this bird is more likely not of natural origin.
The HK list now stands at 585 species in Cat I and II. An updated HK List will also be published.
Species under review
Mountain Hawk Eagle Nisaetus nipalensis at Long Valley, 5 October 1995
- Second review concluded as Not Proven. This species remains in Category I of the Hong Kong List from the only accepted (and the first) record at Luk Keng, 7 May 1988.
URF assessment update
- In progress. Birdwatchers are still encouraged to submit URF to HKBWS Record Committee.
Hong Kong Bird Report
- HKBR 2021 is now under preparation and HKBR 2022 is under planning.
HKBWS & eBird Partnership
• Official collaboration started; open data from eBird can now be used by HKBWS.
• eBird is actively promoted to encourage bird record submissions.
IOC Update (Version 15.1 draft)
• No changes affecting the Hong Kong List.
IUCN Red List Update
• No changes for Hong Kong species.
Satellite-Tracking Data in Bird Records
• Discussion on whether tracking data alone should count as a formal records in Hong Kong including the “first record”.
• Key concerns are lack of direct visual confirmation and potential behavioral changes (human-induced) in tracked birds.
• No final decision yet; further discussions and references to other record committees are planned.
Date of next meeting
• April - May 2025
Yu Yat-tung
Chairman, Record Committee
