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Records Committee Meeting 7th March 2011

Records Committee Meeting 7th March 2011

The main decisions taken at the most recent Records Committee meeting were as follows

The record of a possible Himalayan Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus at Tai Mei Tuk from 29th April to 7th May 2008 was reviewed.
Recordings and sonograms of Horsfield’s Cuckoo C. optatus and Himalayan Cuckoo from various locations in the region were compared with those of the Tai Mei Tuk bird. Calls of known Himalayan Cuckoos showed a distinct fall in pitch between the first and other notes in a sequence, not shown by the Tai Mei Took bird. Although the Tai Mei Tuk bird had a higher pitch than all others, it most resembled those of the taxon occurring on Taiwan, the taxonomic status of which is uncertain. (The Taiwan taxon has been described as C. saturatus, but it sounds much closer to C. optatus).

Here are four different birds calling. First the Tai Mei Tuk bird, second a known Himalayan Cuckoo from Sichuan, third a Taiwan bird and finally a know Horsfield’s Cuckoo from Xinjiang

http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculusspTaiMeiTuk.mp3
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculussaturatusSichuan.mp3
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculusspTaiwan.mp3
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculusoptatusXinjiang.mp3

Photographs of the Tai Mai Tuk bird allowed it to be aged and sexed as first-summer male, which may have influenced the nature of its call. There are no known field identification features to separate Horsfield’s and Himalayan Cuckoo and there were sufficient differences in the call to prevent ascribing the Tai Mei Tuk bird to any taxon based on the call alone.

The record was not accepted as Himalayan Cuckoo.

Hawfinch. The recent records at Yuen Long and in the Lam Tsuen Valley were discussed at length.
The date was considered suitable for a wild bird. Hawfinch has been recorded (rarely) from Fujian and Taiwan although not Guangdong. It is not as common as Japanese Grosbeak in south China provinces. On the negative side, Chinese Grosbeaks are quite commonly sold for religious release in bird markets in HK and Hawfinch could easily be within such groups.
Photographs of two of the Yuen Long birds showed extensive damage to the nostril feathers and the side of the bill in a location considered unusual for a wild bird. The behaviour of these birds, exposed on the ground allowing very close approach, was also considered unusual by comparison with wintering Hawfinches elsewhere which are normally shy birds. There were no close photographs of the Lam Tsuen bird to allow examination of its feather and bill condition.

The Committee felt that on the current evidence of these birds, Hawfinch should remain in Category III.

Female Green-backed Flycatcher records.
As there are no currently recognized criteria to separate female Green-backed Flycatchers and female Narcissus Flycatchers of the subspecies owstoni, existing and future records of either would be marked as ‘Green-backed or Narcissus Flycatcher owstoni’ until identification characteristics can been established.  

Pechora Pipit menzbieri records.
No records would be accepted for this subspecies until identification characteristics can been established.

The list of species and subspecies requiring Unusual Record Forms (URFs) was discussed. The following will no longer require substantiation in the form of URFs with effect from 2009/2010 records.

Lesser Sand Plover atrifrons
Hodgson’s Hawk Cuckoo
Chestnut-tailed Starling – records from Kowloon Park
Small Niltava
White Wagtail lugens
Brambling
Japanese Grosbeak
Yellow-browed Bunting

Please note the Records Committee may request a URF for any particular record (including those of the species above) if it is considered necessary.

The HK List remains at 505 species in Categories I and II. A new list will be posted in a second message requesting 2009/10 records.

Geoff Carey
Chairman

[ Last edited by Record_Com at 14/03/2011 08:26 ]

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Thanks for the update, Geoff.

Ken

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Are changes to which species need URFs retroactive?  Specifically, are URFs required for this winter's Small Niltavas at LFS and TPK?

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The changes are effective from the beginning of 2009.

The records you mention will not require a URF.

Geoff Welch
Secretary

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Thanks for the update.

HF Cheung

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中文簡譯

[紀錄委員會於2011年3月7日的會議中討論了以下事項:
2008年4月29日至5月7日於大美篤的中杜鵑(Himalayan Cuckoo)紀錄
委員會比較了於不同地區錄得的北方中杜鵑(Horsfield’s Cuckoo) 及中杜鵑(Himalayan Cuckoo)的聲波圖,發現大美篤的紀錄與台灣的紀錄相近(雖然在台灣的品種是中杜鵑,但其聲音較似北方中杜鵑)。
以下為四段於不同地區錄得的聲帶, 第一段是大美篤; 第二段是四川的中杜鵑;第三段是台灣;而第四段是新彊的北方中杜鵑。
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculusspTaiMeiTuk.mp3
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculussaturatusSichuan.mp3
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculusspTaiwan.mp3
http://www.geoffwelch46.com/CuculusoptatusXinjiang.mp3
現時並沒有明確特徵可以清楚分辨北方中杜鵑及中杜鵑。而聲波圖上的證據亦未能將此項紀錄納入任何一個已知的品種。故此是項中杜鵑紀錄不被接納
錫嘴雀 – 近期於元朗及林村的紀錄
這品種在福建及台灣曾有紀錄,而近期出現的月份亦恰似自然,然而此品種亦有機會是野放的。基於相片顯示元朗紀錄的個體近鼻孔的部分有傷痕而其行為亦頗為不怕人。 故委員會頃向保留此品種為第三類。
綠背姬鶲雌性的紀錄
現時未有明確特徵可分辨雌性的綠背姬鶲及雌性的黃眉姬鶲Owstoni亞種。 故此所有相關紀錄將會納入為”綠背姬鶲或黃眉姬鶲Owstoni”,直至有明確的分辨方法。
北鷚menzbieri亞種
在未有任何明確的辨識方法前,所有相關紀錄均不會被接納。
以下紀綠不再須要填寫罕有紀錄表格URF:
鐵嘴沙鴴atrifrons亞種; 棕腹杜鵑;九龍公園以外的灰頭椋鳥;小仙鶲;白鶺鴒lugens亜種;燕雀;黑頭蠟嘴雀;黃眉鵐

現時香港鳥類名錄中第1及第2類共有505種。

[ Last edited by Record_Com at 21/03/2011 01:17 ]

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