Records Committee

Secretary’s Report

Submitted by Reed Bowman

Board of Directors Meeting, 22 October 2004

 

 

Accomplishments

           

The Records Committee of the Florida Ornithological Society met at Archbold Biological Station in Lake Placid, Florida on 28 August 2004. Members present and their term of expiration on the FOSRC were Reed Bowman (Secretary, 2005), Andy Kratter (2004), Jon Greenlaw (2006), Fred Lohrer (2007), Mickey Wheeler (2008), Todd Engstrom (2009), and Sally Jue (2010).

 

1.                  Meeting convened at 08:15.

 

2.                  Minutes of 24 January 2004 meeting at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville, FL were reviewed, amended, and accepted as modified.

 

3.                  The committee considered the following reports submitted since our previous meeting:

 

04-526 - YELLOW-GREEN VIREO, 9 Sept. 2002, Key West (Monroe).  This report was the first of two of the same species at the same location, but approximately one year apart submitted by the same observer. Both reports were submitted in late 2003, thus it appeared that the 2002 observation was not written until one year later, when the observer saw the second bird.  Description was detailed, but not complete, especially description of facial patterns, absence of wingbars assumed, but not explicitly stated. Committee decided to request copies of original field notes made at the time of the sighting, if available, and then re-evaluate. VOTE: 3 accept, 4 reject. UNRESOLVED

 

04-527 - YELLOW-GREEN VIREO, 30 August 2003, Key West (Monroe).  Second of two reports of this species from Key West, but this report prepared only four days after sighting.  Description more detailed than the previous report, but still lacking some pertinent details. No mention of color of crown or supercilium, yellow edgings to remiges not typically “bright”, as described in the report, in Yellow-green Vireo. No mention of wing bars or lack thereof.  Apparently field notes were not taken because none accompanied the report. VOTE: 6 accept, 1 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-528 - RED-FOOTED BOOBY, 8-9 November 2003, Boynton Inlet (Palm Beach). Detailed description and photographs of an adult bird perched on a light pole.  Description excellent and photographs diagnostic, clearly showing the overall topography of the bird and bright reddish orange legs. Tail extremely worn and bird appeared to have been in molt, consistent with the observation date.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED. 

 

04-529 - DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, 5 February 2004, Emeralda Marsh, Tavares (Lake).  Description by a single observer, no photographs. Description at times contradictory to identification. Specifically mentions lack of rufous on tail or elsewhere, but Dusky-capped Flycatcher has conspicuous rufous edges to the primaries visible both in flight and perched. The lack of rufous on the tail is diagnostic for Dusky-capped Flycatcher (as well as LaSagra’s), but there was no mention of the angle at which the tail was viewed; the rufous edges to the rectrices in other Myiarchus can be difficult to see from above unless the tail is spread. No comparisons made to potentially similar Myiarchus from Mexico, the Caribbean, or Central America. No mention of vocalizations. Typically winter vagrant flycatchers remain in Florida for some time, but no one else appears to have seen this bird. This species not currently on Florida’s bird list and a first-state record requires more convincing documentation. VOTE: 0 accept, 7 reject.  REJECTED.

 

04-530 - WHITE-FACED IBIS, 21 January 2004, Lake City (Columbia). Description written by one observer, but bird seen by several, photograph submitted. Description and photo consistent, showing reddish tint to legs, pink facial skin, and red iris, which is diagnostic for this species. VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-531 - RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER, 21 February 2004, Royal Palm Hammock, Everglades National Park (Dade). Description submitted by one person, bird observed by three people, photographs submitted. Description and photograph diagnostic of an adult male Cyanerpes. No further issues regarding identification. Recent work by P. Sykes and L. Manfredi suggest Cyanerpes is not uncommon in Miami cage bird trade.  An adult male in Florida at mid-winter is not consistent with what would be the presumed timing of vagrancy. As with previous reports of Cyanerpes, the Committee felt it could not rule out a captive escapee, especially for a first-state record. More probable for natural vagrants would be young (HY/SY) males or females, which are more likely to occur as vagrants and less likely to be kept in captivity. VOTE: 0 accept, 7 reject.  REJECTED (BASED ON UNCERTAINTY OF PROVENANCE).

 

04-532 - BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD, 30 December 2003, Pensacola (Escambia).  Description, photographs, and various feather and wing measurements all diagnostic of an adult male. Full red gorget visible. Photo of attenuated P10, rufous edging to some retrices R2, 3 make species identity clear.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-533 - ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD, 15 December 2003, Tallahassee (Leon).  Description, photographs, and various feather and wing measurements all diagnostic of an After-Hatch-Year female. Difficult to tell from female Rufous Hummingbird, but wing length and the width of rectrix R5 were far outside the 95% confidence intervals of those measures in the larger Rufous Hummingbird.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-534 - ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD, 16 February 2004, Pensacola (Escambia).  Description, photographs, and various feather and wing measurements all diagnostic of an After-Hatch-Year female. Difficult to tell from female Rufous Hummingbird, but wing length and the width of rectrix R5 were far outside the 95% confidence interval of those measures in the larger Rufous Hummingbird.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED

 

04-535 - BLACK-FACED GRASSQUIT, 21-24 March 2004,  Jupiter (Palm Beach). Description submitted by one person, bird observed by several people, video with audio submitted. Description and video diagnostic. Conical bill typical of Tiaris, overall plumage pattern consistent with a first-winter male beginning transition to adult plumage. Vocalization audible on tape consistent. Not widely kept in captivity, especially young males. No unresolved issues. VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-536 - BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, 20 December 2003, Gainesville (Alachua). Descriptions submitted by three different observers with the bird having been observed on two different days. Although some of the reports were quite detailed, the observers provided conflicting evidence. Conflicting reports included whether the tails was white tipped, the bill shape, and the color of the underparts. Each of these characteristics is critical to determining the probable identity of this species. No red was noted at the base of the mandible, a diagnostic character of the Broad-billed Hummingbird, although it may be very difficult to see in HY/SY females. In addition, no verifiable evidence, such as a photograph or video was submitted by which the contradictory evidence could be resolved. This species not currently on Florida’s bird list and a first-state record requires more convincing and consistent documentation. VOTE: 0 accept, 7 reject. REJECTED

 

04-537 - WHITE-FACED IBIS, 19 April 2004, Landfill Pond (Okaloosa). Description submitted by one person, bird observed by several people, excellent photographs submitted. Descriptions and photographs diagnostic of an adult bird in breeding plumage.  No unresolved issues.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-538 - FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER, 23-27 July 2004, Coquina Key, St. Petersburg (Pinellas). Description submitted by one person, bird observed by many people, excellent photographs submitted. Descriptions and photographs diagnostic of an adult bird.  No unresolved issues.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-539 - RED-BILLED TROPICBIRD,  9 April 2004, 10 nm SE Looe Key Marine Sanctuary (Monroe). Description submitted by one person, excellent photographs submitted. Descriptions and photographs diagnostic of an adult bird. Red-bill, long tail streamers, barred back, and extensive black in primaries. No unresolved issues.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-540 - SOUTH POLAR SKUA, 26 June 2004, 100 nm E-SE of Cape Canaveral. Committee determined the bird was seen closer to the territorial waters of the Bahamas rather than those of Florida. The By-Laws of the FOSRC define Florida as follows:

All the area accorded to the government of Florida by generally recognized law and treaty ("legal Florida"), plus all the offshore area both within 200 miles of any point of land in legal Florida, and nearer to such point of land than to land in any other generally recognized legal jurisdiction.

Although the sighting was only 100 nm from Florida, it was not nearest to Florida, but rather the legal jurisdiction of the Bahamas. For that reason, the Committee did not consider the report and it was not voted on. Andy Kratter, one of the FOSRC members, also is a member of the Bird Records Committee of the Bahamas and, with the observer’s permission, the report was forwarded to him so that the Bahamian committee can consider it. We believe that this report, if accepted, would constitute a first record for the Bahamas.

04-541 - BLUE-BLACK GRASSQUIT, 27 April 2004, St. George Island (Franklin). Detailed description submitted by one person, excellent photographs submitted. The Committee was concerned about the overall slenderness of the bill in the photographs that seemed more typical of an icterid than a grassquit; however, geographical variation in bill shape uncertain. In addition, some of the plumage characteristics seemed inconsistent. The FLMNH has an extensive collection of Volatinia and other grassquits and icterids of the region, thus the Committee voted to Table discussion of this report until its January 2005 meeting at FLMNH, where the collection could be used to evaluate this report. TABLED.

 

4.         The Committee reviewed historical records of BULLOCKS ORIOLE in Florida. At the time that the Northern Oriole was split into Baltimore and Bullock’s Oriole, the FOSRC evaluated the occurrence of both these species for elevation to the state list. We assumed that both would require little evaluation. Two specimens of Bullock’s Oriole were easily available to the Committee, one at Archbold Biological Station (ABS) and one at Tall Timbers Research Station (TTRS). The specimen at ABS was originally collected by Dennis Paulson in Dade Co, 24 December 1956. It was cataloged in the University of Miami collection as UMRC 1437, but when that collection was dissolved, the specimen was re=cataloged at ABS as ABS 483. The Committee evaluated this specimen and, based on overall and ventral coloration and the lack of a noticeable saw-toothed markings on the median coverts, that the specimen was likely a female or first-winter Baltimore Oriole. Upon evaluating the TTRS specimen, collected by Storrs Olson in Franklin Co, 17 Oct. 1964, we also concluded that this specimen was a Baltimore Oriole. At the time, we did not have additional specimens to consider thus Baltimore Oriole was added to the state list, but Bullock’s was not, pending review of additional specimens. Subsequently, several reports of Bullock’s Oriole in Florida were accepted, and previously published photographs of the species in Florida were reviewed and accepted. In 2001, Bullock’s Oriole was added to the state list. We reviewed four additional specimens purported to be Bullock’s Oriole collected in Florida and housed in various museums.

 

04-542  - BULLOCK’S ORIOLE, Princeton (Dade). Collected 11 January 1957. In the University of Miami collection as UMRC 1403, but mistakenly referred to as UMRC 1437 in Stevenson and Anderson (1994). Moved to the Field Museum of Natural History and re-cataloged as FMNH 375099. This specimen was obviously a first-winter male Bullock’s Oriole, with the start of a black throat, yellow supercilium, and distinct black saw-toothed patterns to the median coverts.  VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject.  ACCEPTED.

 

04-543 - BULLOCK’S ORIOLE, Princeton (Dade). Collected 12 October 1957. In the University of Miami collection as UMRC 1631 then moved to the Field Museum of Natural History and re-cataloged as FMNH 375044. Based on overall and ventral coloration, plain face, lacking a distinct supercilium, and the lack of a noticeable saw-toothed markings on the median coverts, that the specimen was likely a female Baltimore Oriole. VOTE: 0 accept, 7 reject. REJECTED.

 

04-544  - BULLOCK’S ORIOLE, Tallahassee (Leon). Collected 1 October 1966 and housed at the Florida State University. The original catalog number FSU 6848c had been crossed our and the number 2102 penciled in on the label. The bird was identified as a male on the specimen label. This bird was fairly bright and more orange that the I. glabula specimens. It had the distinctive black in the throat, a yellow supercilium, and the median covert had the distinct saw-toothed pattern typical of I. bullocki. VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject. ACCEPTED.

 

04-545  - BULLOCK’S ORIOLE, Miller’s Landing (Leon). Collected 4 February 1967 and housed at the Florida State University. The original catalog number FSU 6848d had been crossed our and the number 2101 penciled in on the label. The bird was identified as a female on the specimen label.  Face grayish with no distinct dark eye-line. Chest yellow extending far onto belly. No distinctive saw-toothed markings to median coverts, suggesting female or first-winter male Baltimore Oriole. VOTE: 0 accept, 7 reject. REJECTED

 

Thus, the Committee added two additional records of Bullock’s Oriole to the state list. Of the six purported specimens of Bullock’s Orioles known from museum collections, the FOSRC has concluded that only two were actually Bullock’s Orioles and both were likely first-winter male birds.

 

5.         The committee reviewed a galley proof of an in press manuscript intended for publication in an upcoming issue of Florida Field Naturalist By B. Pranty and H. Lovell documenting the size and trends of Black-hooded Parakeets in Florida. Appendix A of the FOSRC’s Rules and Procedures states that

 

"Introduced species (deliberate or inadvertent) are deemed to be established if there are persistent records for at least 10 years and satisfactory evidence of maintaining a reasonably stable or increasing population through successful reproduction.”.

 

The Rules further define “satisfactory evidence” as:

 

 “evidence that the population has reached and is maintaining a size large enough that it is not in serious danger of collapse due to genetic deterioration through inbreeding... “Satisfactory evidence" normally means that at least one detailed study of local population size and breeding biology has been published in a reputable scientific source such as a peer-reviewed journal or technical book. However, explosive population growth by widely evident natural reproduction may be considered "satisfactory evidence" if the population after 10 years can be shown to consist of several thousand freely breeding adults over a wide geographic area.”.

 

The committee had previously reviewed this manuscript and concluded that it presented convincing evidence that the Black-hooded Parakeet is established in Florida. The manuscript was treated as an original report of this species in Florida and cataloged as follows:

 

04-546 - BLACK-HOODED PARAKEET. Populations of this species have increased since the 1980’s, demonstrating more rapid, almost exponential growth during the 1990’s. At the same time, the apparent range of the species in Florida has expanded from being detected on only 4 Christmas Bird Counts (CBC) in the early 1980’s to 16 CBCs by 2003. At all of the 10 counties that have recorded Black-hooded Parakeets, once the birds were first observed, their populations have persisted. Breeding has been reported at many of these areas. The total population size was conservatively estimated at 850 birds. VOTE: 7 accept, 0 reject. ACCEPTED. Species add to the Official State List as an Established Exotic. 

 

6.         14th Report of the FOSRC.  The Committee reviewed the published report that appeared in the 2004 issue of FFN 32(1), pages 7-33. The Secretary requested that all members review the published report for potential corrections. Addenda can be published with the 15th report, to be prepared this fall that will include reports evaluated in 2003 and 2004. This will bring the published reports completely up to date.

 

7.                   EXOTICS SUBCOMMITTEE.  Jon Greenlaw submitted a draft revision of the “Criteria for Establishment” to be considered for amending that section in Appendix A of the FOSRC Rules and Procedures. The mandate of the subcommittee was to re-examine the FOSRC’s criteria for accepting the proposition that a feral, exotic bird has become established in Florida and should be added to the Official List of Florida Birds. Amending Appendix A requires a change to the Rules and Procedures that must be approved by the entire FOS Board. Attached to this report as Appendix A is a copy of the Rules and Procedures Appendix A as it currently exists and the proposed amendment. Subcommittee members were J. Greenlaw, A. Kratter, and F. Lohrer. 

 

8.         ARCHIVES SUBCOMMITTEE.  The Archives Subcommittee members were R. Bowman, F. Lohrer, A. Kratter, and M. Wheeler.  No report was submitted.

 

9.         FOSRC web pages.  Secretary Bowman reported that he had been working closely with FOS Web Master Kurt Radamaker. The FOSRC web page has recently been updated and is up-to-date for inclusion of past reports of the FOSRC, including photographs of species recently evaluated by the Committee. In addition, Radamaker had developed an on-line documentation form, via which reports could be submitted to the Secretary via e-mail. Bowman reported that he received 5 reports using the on-line documentation form. It was suggested several fields could be added to the on-line and official versions of the documentation form. A field for specifically mentioning the county in which the observation took place would be useful, as well as a field for an e-mail address. E-mail correspondence with observers is vastly more efficient, but many observers give only their mailing address. In addition, the form should explicitly state that if original field notes were taken at the time of the observations, copies should be attached to the documentation form or sent separately (in cases of electronic submission) to the Secretary.

 

10.       NEW BUSINESS:  Secretary Bowman discussed several issues in making the FOSRC catalog completely digital. Appropriate database management protocols should be followed, making searching the database and compiling data more effective. The Committee agreed that the FOSRC catalog system would change slightly. The first evaluation of a report would receive an additional numerical suffix. For example, the first evaluation of a report submitted in 2000 might be 02-491-1. Should that report ever be reevaluated, the numerical suffix would increase to 02-491-2. This gives each evaluation a unique catalog number, but sequential evaluations of the same report can easily be aggregated. Bowman reported that the entire catalog should be digital by our January 2005 meeting, at which time he will provide a summary of the number of accepted and not-accepted reports of all species on the review list.

 

11.       Andy Kratter’s term on the Committee expires at the end of the Fall 2004 meeting. However, Andy was appointed to the FOSRC to fill the term of Bob Duncan, who resigned in 2002.  Because Andy served less than 4 years on the Committee as a replacement, and in accordance with the Rules and Procedures, he is eligible for reappointment. Andy agreed to continue his tenure on the FOSRC and the group voted to submit his name to President Fran James for re-appointment to the Committee.

 

12.       The Committee discussed the agenda for the January 2005 meeting to be held in Gainesville at the FLMNH. We agreed to deal with the recent taxonomic split of the Canada Goose into the Canada Goose and the Cackling Goose. In addition, we decided to once again tackle the issue of Bicknell’s Thrush in Florida by trying to find and bring to the meeting potential specimens of Bicknell’s Thrush collected in Florida.

 

13.       For the Florida Birding Festival held October 8-10 at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Reed Bowman prepared an hour-long PowerPoint presentation entitled “How to document a rare bird sighting”. The talk was attended by about 25 people. The talk was intended to improve the quality of written reports submitted to the FOSRC.

 

14.       As we did last year, the FOSRC requests an annual budget allocation of $1000 to defray costs of disseminating reports to committee members (copy costs, mailing etc.) and to help defray travel costs to members of our biannual meetings.

 

15.       Also attached to the report as Appendix B is an up-dated copy of the FOSRC’s Official List of the Birds of Florida, which now stands at 491 species.

 

 

 

Submitted October 12, 2004

Reed Bowman, Secretary FOSRC


APPENDIX A

 

RECOMMENDED REVISION OF PROVISIONS IN FOSRC BYLAWS FOR JUDGING THE STATUS OF NON-NATIVE SPECIES IN FLORIDA

 

 

“Criteria for Establishment” (Appendix A, section 3, p. 8)

 

 

  1. Criteria for Establishment.  An exotic species (see Glossary) may appear in Florida because of deliberate transport and release by humans, or because of inadvertent escape from captivity.  Some of these species may establish feral populations in one part of Florida and then spread to other parts of the state, or may persist locally as a small population indefinitely.  Other such local groups may disappear quickly, or only after a prolonged period of persistence.  Different exotic species will respond differently to release into Florida environments because of variation among them in their physiological, ecological, and behavioral characteristics and requirements, which will ordinarily be largely unknown or speculative.

An exotic species will be deemed “established” in Florida if a stable or increasing population of that species has persisted continuously in one or more areas for at least 15 years (Persistence Criterion) and meets one or both of the following additional criteria:

a.                    An exotic species that has exhibited rapid population growth by widely evident natural reproduction, accompanied by evidence of extensive range expansion within (and perhaps beyond) Florida, may be deemed “established.”  The example of the Eurasian Collared-Dove in Florida during the late 20th century provides a model application of this rule (Population Growth and Range Expansion criteria), even though the origin of this species in the state may be in doubt.  See 3b for publication requirement.

b.                   An exotic species for which there is acceptable evidence that successful nesting (fledged young) is a characteristic of one or more local populations of several hundred individuals, that this nesting activity is recruiting young adults into the population(s), that (if applicable) the population(s) have exhibited resilience in the face of major perturbations such as hurricanes or habitat disruptions, and that there is little or no evidence that ongoing releases play a significant role in population maintenance, may be deemed “established,” but only after such evidence as is available has been published in at least one scientific source (e.g., peer-reviewed journal, technical book), or after this evidence has been amassed by a Committee member or some other interested individual and reviewed by the Committee.  In the last instance, a detailed analysis of the issue must be published in a suitable scientific source if a judgment of Establishment is rendered by the Committee.  Furthermore, by extension, the requirement for publication applies to species considered “established” under section 3a as well.

c.                    Species that occur or have occurred in Florida as a result of unassisted vagrancy or dispersal from an Exotic population outside Florida, which clearly meets all tests of Establishment within their range, shall be evaluated as if they were Naturally Appearing even though they are Exotic.  Thus, the placement of the House Finch on the State List, for example, does not require that it be evaluated for Establishment within Florida.

 

The intent of the flexible Persistence Criterion (“at least 15 years”) and phrasing in 3b above is to allow the Committee to exercise its own judgment in potentially uncertain or controversial cases, but only in the context of an evaluation of concrete biological evidence (including information on population sizes, trends, distribution, nesting success, importance of human intervention, etc.), and with the explicit enjoinder that the final judgment be a conservative one.  Other records committees have pointed out that no simple set of rules or single time threshold can be devised to apply to all or even to most cases.  A 10-year time rule may be adequate for short-lived species, but will not work for many long-lived birds, such as the larger parrots.  Nevertheless, some persistence criterion is desirable, since time is necessary to establish population trends and to amass whatever information that might be useful (e.g., CBCs, BBS surveys, etc.).  We increase our persistence criterion from 10 to 15 years to establish a somewhat more conservative “test-of-time” threshold that may be further extended at the Committee’s discretion for long-lived species or equivocal cases.  Likewise, detailed information on population dynamics, genetic viability, or habitat relationships require in-depth studies that may not be forthcoming, or that may not appear in a timely manner (in a peer-reviewed journal).  Thus, we seek here to codify an approach to decision-making that emphasizes flexibility under constraints of evidence review and conservative judgment.

 

 

Current form of  “Criteria for Establishment” (Appendix A, section 3, p. 8

 

3. Criteria for Establishment. The AOU Check-List, 6th ed. (1983,p. xx ), states, "Introduced species (deliberate or inadvertent) are deemed to be established if there are persistent records for at least 10 years and satisfactory evidence of maintaining a reasonably stable or increasing population through successful reproduction." This Committee follows those criteria but with several clarifications.

 

a. "Persistent records for at least 10 years" means satisfactory evidence of regular occurrence of a self-reproducing population within a defined geographic area continually throughout a 10 year period. It must be evident that the population within an area is maintained by a rate of natural reproduction that at least matches, preferably exceeds mortality, rather than by ongoing releases.

 

b. "Satisfactory evidence of maintaining a reasonably stable or increasing population" refers to evidence that the population has reached and is maintaining a size large enough that it is not in serious danger of collapse due to genetic deterioration through inbreeding. The minimum viable size differs among species depending on their mating systems, fecundity, and normal longevity. Populations with fewer than 30 actively breeding adults should be considered inadequate in any case, and populations of a few hundred breeding pairs generally are needed to provide reasonable assurance of genetic health. " Satisfactory evidence" normally means that at least one detailed study of local population size and breeding biology has been published in a reputable scientific source such as a peer-reviewed journal or technical book. However, explosive population growth by widely evident natural reproduction may be considered "satisfactory evidence" if the population after 10 years can be shown to consist of several thousand freely breeding adults over a wide geographic area.

 

c. "Through successful reproduction" means that successful reproduction of free-living individuals has been clearly documented; that evidence is available that such reproduction is regular and routine; and that no evidence suggests that ongoing releases play a significant role in population maintenance.

 

d. Resilience may be a useful secondary criterion for judging Establishment. Species that have survived major perturbations such as hurricanes, habitat disruptions, etc., and subsequently nevertheless have increased in numbers, may have demonstrated a degree of natural viability - they are not critically dependent on fragile habitat conditions and they are able to reproduce at a rate greater than the minimum necessary for replacement of breeders.

 

e. Species that occur or have occurred in Florida as a result of unassisted vagrancy or dispersal from an Exotic population outside Florida which clearly meets all tests of Establishment within their exotic range, shall be evaluated as if they were Naturally Appearing even though they are Exotic. Thus, the placement of the House Finch on the State List, for example, does not require that it be evaluated for Establishment within Florida.


Appendix B.

 

Official State List of the Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee

 

            A list of bird species definitely having occurred in Florida by Natural Appearance or by Establishment of an Exotic. The base list shall be the Supplement: Checklist of Florida Birds, pp. 255-260 in Robertson & Woolfenden (1992), as updated by Final Decisions of the Florida Ornithological Society’s Records Committee. Established Exotics (e); extinct native species (x) and Disestablished Exotics (de); and species listed without Verifiable Evidence (s) shall be so annotated. Sibling Species Groups may be included without reference to a particular underlying species but shall not be counted in any total of species found in Florida unless none of the underlying species are on the State List.

 

            Species in the list below annotated with an * should be documented when seen in Florida and submitted to the FOSRC for review. In addition, documentation should be submitted to the FOSRC for any species observed in Florida, believed to have occurred naturally or to have escaped, but not appearing in the main list of the aforementioned publication.

 

This list incorporates changes made in the 42nd, 43rd, 44th and 45th Supplements to the AOU Check-list, as published in The Auk 117: 847-858 (2000); 119:897-906 (2002); 120:923-932 (2003); 121:985-995 (2004).

 

Amended, August 28, 2004

 


ANATIDAE

Dendrocygna autumnalis                  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.

Dendrocygna bicolor                         Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Anser albifrons                                  Greater White-fronted Goose.

Chen caerulescens                             Snow Goose.

Chen rossii                                         Ross's Goose. *

Branta canadensis                             Canada Goose.

Branta bernicla                                  Brant.

Cygnus columbianus                         Tundra Swan.

Cairina moschata                              Muscovy Duck. (e)

Aix sponsa                                          Wood Duck.

Anas strepera                                                 Gadwall.

Anas penelope                                    Eurasian Wigeon.

Anas americana                                 American Wigeon.

Anas rubripes                                     American Black Duck.

Anas platyrhynchos                           Mallard.

Anas fulvigula                                   Mottled Duck.

Anas discors                                       Blue-winged Teal.

Anas cyanoptera                                Cinnamon Teal.

Anas clypeata                                     Northern Shoveler.

Anas bahamensis                               White-cheeked Pintail. *

Anas acuta                                         Northern Pintail.

Anas crecca                                        Green-winged Teal.

Aythya valisineria                              Canvasback.

Aythya americana                              Redhead.

Aythya collaris                                   Ring-necked Duck.

Aythya marila                                    Greater Scaup.

Aythya affinis                                     Lesser Scaup.

Somateria spectabilis                         King Eider. *

Somateria mollissima                        Common Eider.

Histrionicus histrionicus                  Harlequin Duck.

Melanitta perspicillata                      Surf Scoter.

Melanitta fusca                                  White-winged Scoter.

Melanitta nigra                                  Black Scoter.

Clangula hyemalis                             Long-tailed Duck.

Bucephala albeola                             Bufflehead.

Bucephala clangula                          Common Goldeneye.

Lophodytes cucullatus                       Hooded Merganser.

Mergus merganser                              Common Merganser. *

Mergus serrator                                  Red-breasted Merganser.

Nomonyx dominicus                          Masked Duck. *

Oxyura jamaicensis                           Ruddy Duck.

 

PHASIANIDAE

Meleagris gallopavo                           Wild Turkey.

Colinus virginianus                           Northern Bobwhite

 

GAVIIDAE

Gavia stellata                                                 Red-throated Loon.

Gavia pacifica                                    Pacific Loon.

Gavia immer                                       Common Loon.

 

PODICIPEDIDAE

Tachybaptus dominicus                     Least Grebe. *

Podilymbus podiceps                                     Pied-billed Grebe.

Podiceps auritus                                Horned Grebe.

Podiceps grisegena                            Red-necked Grebe. *

Podiceps nigricollis                           Eared Grebe.

Aechmophorus occidentalis              Western Grebe. *

 

DIOMEDEIDAE

Thalassarche chlororhynchos           Yellow-nosed Albatross. *

 

PROCELLARIIDAE

Pterodroma hasitata                          Black-capped Petrel.

Calonectris diomedea                        Cory's Shearwater.

Puffinus gravis                                   Greater Shearwater.

Puffinus griseus                                 Sooty Shearwater.

Puffinus tenuirostris                         Short-tailed Shearwater. *

Puffinus puffinus                               Manx Shearwater. *

Puffinus lherminieri                          Audubon's Shearwater.

 

HYDROBATIDAE

Oceanites oceanicus                          Wilson's Storm-Petrel.

Oceanodroma leucorhoa                   Leach's Storm-Petrel.

Oceanodroma castro                          Band-rumped Storm-Petrel.

 

PHAETHONTIDAE

Phaethon lepturus                             White-tailed Tropicbird.

Phaethon aethereus                           Red-billed Tropicbird. *

 

SULIDAE

Sula dactylatra                                   Masked Booby.

Sula leucogaster                                Brown Booby.

Sula sula                                            Red-footed Booby.

Morus bassanus                                  Northern Gannet.

 

PELECANIDAE

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos               American White Pelican.

Pelecanus occidentalis                      Brown Pelican.

 

PHALACROCORACIDAE

Phalacrocorax auritus                       Double-crested Cormorant.

Phalacrocorax carbo                                     Great Cormorant.

 

ANHINGIDAE

Anhinga anhinga                              Anhinga.

 

FREGATIDAE

Fregata magnificens                          Magnificent Frigatebird.

 

ARDEIDAE

Botaurus lentiginosus                       American Bittern.

Ixobrychus exilis                                Least Bittern.

Ardea herodias                                   Great Blue Heron.

Ardea alba                                          Great Egret.

Egretta thula                                      Snowy Egret.

Egretta caerulea                                Little Blue Heron.

Egretta tricolor                                  Tricolored Heron.

Egretta rufescens                               Reddish Egret.

Bubulcus ibis                                                 Cattle Egret.

Butorides virescens                            Green Heron.

Nycticorax nycticorax                       Black-crowned Night-Heron.

Nyctanassa violacea                          Yellow-crowned Night-Heron.

 

THRESKIORNITHIDAE

Eudocimus albus                               White Ibis.

Eudocimus ruber                               Scarlet Ibis. *

Plegadis falcinellus                           Glossy Ibis.

Plegadis chihi                                    White-faced Ibis. *

Ajaia ajaja                                          Roseate Spoonbill.

 

CICONIIDAE

Mycteria americana                           Wood Stork.

 

CATHARTIDAE

Coragyps atratus                                Black Vulture.

Cathartes aura                                   Turkey Vulture.

 

PHOENICOPTERIDAE

Phoenicopterus ruber                        Greater Flamingo.

 

ACCIPITRIDAE

Pandion haliaetus                             Osprey.

Elanoides forficatus                          Swallow-tailed Kite.

Elanus leucurus                                 White-tailed Kite.

Rostrhamus sociabilis                       Snail Kite.

Ictinia mississippiensis                      Mississippi Kite.

Haliaeetus leucocephalus                 Bald Eagle.

Circus cyaneus                                   Northern Harrier.

Accipiter striatus                               Sharp-shinned Hawk.

Accipiter cooperii                              Cooper's Hawk.

Accipiter gentilis                               Northern Goshawk. *

Buteo lineatus                                    Red-shouldered Hawk.

Buteo platypterus                               Broad-winged Hawk.

Buteo brachyurus                              Short-tailed Hawk.

Buteo swainsoni                                Swainson's Hawk.

Buteo albonotatus                             Zone-tailed Hawk. *

Buteo jamaicensis                              Red-tailed Hawk.

Buteo regalis                                      Ferruginous Hawk. *

Buteo lagopus                                    Rough-legged Hawk. *

Aquila chrysaetos                              Golden Eagle.

 

FALCONIDAE

Caracara plancus                               Crested Caracara.

Falco tinnunculus                             Eurasian Kestrel. *

Falco sparverius                                American Kestrel.

Falco columbarius                             Merlin.

Falco peregrinus                                Peregrine Falcon.

 

RALLIDAE

Coturnicops noveboracensis                         Yellow Rail.

Laterallus jamaicensis                       Black Rail.

Rallus longirostris                             Clapper Rail.

Rallus elegans                                    King Rail.

Rallus limicola                                  Virginia Rail.

Porzana carolina                               Sora.

Porphyrula martinica                        Purple Gallinule.

Gallinula chloropus                          Common Moorhen.

Fulica americana                              American Coot.

 

ARAMIDAE

Aramus guarauna                              Limpkin.

 

GRUIDAE

Grus canadensis                                 Sandhill Crane.

Grus americana                                 Whooping Crane. (x)

 

CHARADRIIDAE