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West Virginia Bird Records Committee Established
George A. Hall
Until recently the criterion for adding a species to the official state list of bird species was to have a specimen preserved in a museum. Today it is impossible to use this criterion since collecting permits are difficult to obtain, and most of the birding community is unhappy with the idea of collecting. How then to evaluate sight records of new species? Many states have organized bird record committees. These communities, the members of which are presumed to have expert knowledge of identification, consider the evidence supporting the occurrence of a species in the state, and decide by vote whether to add the species to the state list.
The Committee is charged with maintaining the official list of West Virginia Birds. The starting point is the List given in West Virginia Birds (Hall, 1983) and the supplements to the List (Hall, 1991: Hall, 1996). There are two parts to this list: the Regular List, and the Hypothetical List. The Committee will consider all reports concerning new species for the List, as well as species that are included on a “Review List” now being prepared. This Review List contain all species on the Hypothetical List as well as those species on the Regular List for which there are five or fewer records.
Persons wishing to have a report acted upon will submit to the Secretary full documentation, and any supporting material, e.g., photographs, sound recordings, feathers, or specimens. The Committee will then decide if the evidence indicates that the record is satisfactory.
The Committee is charged with maintaining the official list of West Virginia Birds. The starting point is the List given in West Virginia Birds (Hall, 1983) and the supplements to the List (Hall, 1991: Hall, 1996). There are two parts to this list: the Regular List, and the Hypothetical List. The Committee will consider all reports concerning new species for the List, as well as species that are included on a “Review List” now being prepared. This Review List contain all species on the Hypothetical List as well as those species on the Regular List for which there are five or fewer records.
Persons wishing to have a report acted upon will submit to the Secretary full documentation, and any supporting material, e.g., photographs, sound recordings, feathers, or specimens. The Committee will then decide if the evidence indicates that the record is satisfactory.
References
Hall, G.A. (1983). West Virginia Birds. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Special Publication No. 7.
Hall, G.A. (1991). Supplement III to the List of West Virginia Birds. The Redstart, 58: 107-109.
Hall, G.A. (1996). Supplement IV to the List of West Virginia Birds. The Redstart, 63: 41-44.
Hall, G.A. (1991). Supplement III to the List of West Virginia Birds. The Redstart, 58: 107-109.
Hall, G.A. (1996). Supplement IV to the List of West Virginia Birds. The Redstart, 63: 41-44.
Instructions to Persons Submitting Records for Consideration
1. Please complete the West Virginia Bird Record Committee Report Form. The form is in PDF format and can be filled out on your computer with Adobe Reader on a PC or the program Preview on a Mac. Otherwise, please type or print clearly — illegible information will be returned for clarification. West Virginia Bird Record Committee Report Form. (Form is a PDF)
Please download the Report Form to your computer. The form cannot be filled out online nothing will be saved. Once the form is filled out on you computer, please save your work to your computer and email the completed form to the WVBRC secretary.
2. Complete the entire form.
3. Be as specific as possible when completing the Report Form, use additional pages if needed.
4. Criteria for listing will be as follows:
A. A specimen has at some time been collected in the state and has been examined by a competent ornithologist. Some of these specimens apparently are no longer in existence or cannot now be located.
B. A recognizable photograph has been taken of the bird in the state and has been examined by a competent ornithologist.
C. The bird has been handled by a bander and released, providing the bander and his associates have been judged competent to identify the species.
D. One or more sight records, each of which involved at least three persons having previous experience with the species, have been made in the state.
E. There have been repeated sight records over the years by persons having previous experience with the species, but for which fewer than three persons were involved in each sighting.
5. Validity of reintroduced birds as a state record. In the case or reintroduced species, the bird considered for the record must be the wild raised offspring of an established population.
6. If more than one person is making the observation, please complete only one Report Form and have the accompanying observers complete a Conformation of the Sighting Form.
Thank you for submitting your record for consideration
Please download the Report Form to your computer. The form cannot be filled out online nothing will be saved. Once the form is filled out on you computer, please save your work to your computer and email the completed form to the WVBRC secretary.
2. Complete the entire form.
3. Be as specific as possible when completing the Report Form, use additional pages if needed.
4. Criteria for listing will be as follows:
A. A specimen has at some time been collected in the state and has been examined by a competent ornithologist. Some of these specimens apparently are no longer in existence or cannot now be located.
B. A recognizable photograph has been taken of the bird in the state and has been examined by a competent ornithologist.
C. The bird has been handled by a bander and released, providing the bander and his associates have been judged competent to identify the species.
D. One or more sight records, each of which involved at least three persons having previous experience with the species, have been made in the state.
E. There have been repeated sight records over the years by persons having previous experience with the species, but for which fewer than three persons were involved in each sighting.
5. Validity of reintroduced birds as a state record. In the case or reintroduced species, the bird considered for the record must be the wild raised offspring of an established population.
6. If more than one person is making the observation, please complete only one Report Form and have the accompanying observers complete a Conformation of the Sighting Form.
Thank you for submitting your record for consideration
Resources (updated 2/20/24) |
Current WV Bird Records Committee Members (updated 2/20/24) |
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Gary Rankin (Chair)
Wade Snyder (Vice-Chair) Jesse Fallon Matt Orsie Mike Slaven |
Rich Bailey
Derek Courtney Josh Holland (alternate) Wil Hershberger (secretary) |
Below are the WV rare bird records that were submitted for review by year.
2023 Rare Bird Reports
Accepted Records |
Record - Vote |
Rejected Records |
Record - Vote |
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Painted Bunting (Summers Co.) --------------
Marbled Godwit (Cabell Co.) ------------------ Ferruginous Hawk (Hancock Co.) ----------- Tufted Duck (Preston Co.) ---------------------- Pacific Loon (Preston Co.) ---------------------- Limpkin (Putnam Co.) --------------------------- Limpkin (Lewis Co.) ------------------------------ Arctic Tern (Taylor Co.) ------------------------- Western Kingbird (Berkeley Co.) ------------- Black-necked Stilt (Randolph Co.) ----------- Brewer's Blackbird (Mason Co.) -------------- Cinnamon Teal (Preston Co.) ------------------ |
No rejected records for 2023
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None
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(H) Hypothetical (no hypotheticals in 2023)
2022 Rare Bird Reports
Accepted Records |
Record - Vote |
Rejected Records |
Record - Vote |
(H) Hypothetical (no hypotheticals in 2022)
2021 Rare Bird Reports
Accepted Records |
Record - Vote |
Rejected Records |
Record - Vote |
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European Goldfinch (Preston Co.) ------------
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Greenbriar Co.) --- Eurasian Collared-Dove (Randolph Co.) ---- Eurasian Collared-Dove (Greenbriar Co.) --- White-faced Ibis (Mason Co.) ------------------- Limpkin (Jefferson Co.) --------------------------- Eurasian Collared-Dove (Greenbriar Co.) --- |
Bewick's Wren (Randolph Co.) ------------
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(H) Hypothetical (no hypotheticals in 2021)
2020 Rare Bird Reports
Accepted Records |
Record - Vote |
Rejected Records |
Record - Vote |
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Western Meadowlark (Preston Co.) ------------
Franklin's Gull (Mason Co.) ---------------------- Pacific Loon (Wood Co.) --------------------------- Harlequin Duck (Wood Co.) ---------------------- Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Raleigh Co.) Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Barbour Co.) Great Blue Heron (white form, Kanawha Co.) Brown Pelican (Wood Co.) ------------------------ Bell's Vireo (Tucker Co.) --------------------------- White-faced Ibis (Cabell Co.) -------------------- |
Eurasian Collared-Dove (Greenbrier Co.)
Eared Grebe (Monongalia Co.)--------------- |
(H) Hypothetical (no hypotheticals in 2020)
WV Rare Bird Reports Archives (2019 - 2015)
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Contact Information:
WV Bird Records Committee Attn: Wil Hershberger 170 Stallion Ct. Hedgesville, WV 25427 Or E-mail to: [email protected] |
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