Submitted by Reed Bowman
Board of Directors Meeting, 12 October 2001
Accomplishments
The Records Committee met at Archbold Biological Station on 27-28 July 2001. Members present and their term of expiration on the FOSRC were Reed Bowman, Secretary (2005), Mickey Wheeler (2001), Todd Engstrom (2002), Lyn Atherton (2003), Bob Duncan (2004), Jon Greenlaw (2006), and Fred Lohrer (2007).
1) The committee considered the following reports:
01-437. Red-necked Grebe. Accepted: vote 6-0-1. First-state record. Photograph. Bill length relative to head consistent. Facial pattern indicative of first-winter plumage.
01-442. Red-necked Grebe. Accepted: vote 6-0-1. Drawing of juvenile plumage, bill to head length consistent. Additional info from observer confirmed that bird subsequently molted into first-winter plumage.
01-451. Red-necked Grebe (split from 01-442). Not Accepted: vote 1-5-1. Details insufficient to confirm identification.
01-446. Western Grebe. Tabled pending submission of photographs thought to exist.
01-453. Western Grebe. Accepted to genus only: vote 7-0. Photographs detailed but likely a hybrid between Western and Clark’s based on expert opinion. Bill consistent w/ Western, but facial pattern intermediate.
01-447. Band-rumped Storm-petrel. Accepted: vote 7-0. Details of plumage and behavior consistent. Outstanding written description.
00-423. Ross’s Goose. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photograph unambiguous.
00-424. Ross’s Goose. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photograph and video unambiguous.
00-445. Ross’s Goose. Accepted: vote 7-0. Written description noted all key field marks, small size, bill size, basal coloration of bill, discussion of grin patch and elimination of possible Ross’s x Snow Goose hybrid.
00-427. White-faced Ibis. Accepted: vote 7-0. Written description including eye color and facial plumage patterns consistent.
00-428. White-faced Ibis. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photograph diagnostic.
00-433. Zone-tailed Hawk. Accepted: vote 7-0. First state record. Video. Excellent views of underside and tail, overall shape and proportions, wing and flight patterns. Adult bird w/ no evidence of captive release.
00-430. Elegant Tern. Accepted: vote 7-0. First-state record. Photographs. Perched and flying photos clearly show key characteristics, long, shaggy crest, slender orange bill, white tips to tail suggest 2nd year plumage and distinguish from similar species.
01-452. Heermann’s Gull. Accepted: vote 6-0-1. First state-record. Photographs. Detailed pictures of a second winter bird.
00-448. Common Pauraque. Unresolved and tabled: vote 4-3-0. Vote insufficient to accept or not accept. Written description with detailed description of vocalization, which is species specific. However, brief observation without binoculars and some ambiguity in details prevented confirmation of identity.
00-426. Vaux’s Swift. Not Accepted: vote 0-6-1. Details insufficient to confirm identification.
01-434. Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs, detailed pictures of tail patterns and measurements confirm identity.
01-444. Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs, detailed pictures of tail patterns and measurements confirm identity.
01-435. Calliope Hummingbird. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs, detailed pictures of tail patterns and measurements confirm identity.
01-436. Calliope Hummingbird. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs, detailed pictures of tail patterns and measurements confirm identity.
01-438. Calliope Hummingbird. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs, detailed pictures of tail patterns and measurements confirm identity.
01-441. Cuban Pewee. Accepted: vote 6-1-0. Written description and detailed drawings. Several key characteristics noted, extended partial eye ring, short primary extension, and vocalizations.
00-432. Cassin’s Kingbird. Accepted: vote 7-0. Written description with all necessary field marks noted.
00-425. Tropical Kingbird. Accepted: vote 6-0-1. Video. Video and written description of vocalization unambiguous.
00-429. Giant Kingbird. Not Accepted: vote 0-7. Details insufficient to confirm identification.
01-439. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs. Black malar stripe extending onto chin, streaked breast, rufus tail consisted with identification.
00-422. Yellow-green Vireo. Accepted: vote 6-0-1. Description consistent with species plus concurrent observation of red-eyed vireos.
00-431. Northern Wheatear. Accepted: vote 7-0. Detailed description.
00-421. Kirtland’s Warbler. Not Accepted: vote 0-7. Details insufficient to confirm identification.
01-440. Yellow-faced Grassquit. Accepted: vote 7-0. Video and photographs. Identity unambiguous.
01-449. Lazuli Bunting. Accepted: vote 7-0. Video and photograph. Identity unambiguous.
01-443. Bullock’s Oriole. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs and written description consistent with first-year male.
01-450. Bullock’s Oriole. Accepted: vote 7-0. Photographs and video. Suggests first-year male, unambiguous.
2. The committee evaluated the following unresolved reports to determine some specific action necessary for resolution:
00-410. Black-headed Gull: Photographs still known to exist but not yet found. Lyn Atherton will try to find photographs.
99-389. Thayer’s Gull: Tabled since 1999 for need of photographs. Lyn Atherton will try to find photographs.
00-402. Tropical Kingbird: Accepted: vote 7-0. Written description of plumage and vocalization sufficient to confirm identify.
97-375. Cassin’s Kingbird: Tabled for need of photographs. Reed Bowman to query Wayne Hoffman and Mickey Wheeler to query Larry Manfredi for photos.
94-309. Bananaquit: Accepted: vote 7-0. The FOSRC was solicited to reevaluate a previously not accepted report based on a new submission of written documentation from an observer that had not previously submitted a report. The new written documentation was detailed and sufficient to confirm the identity of this species.
3. The committee considered the following information about Florida birds:
1) At the time of the split of Northern Oriole into Baltimore and Bullock’s Orioles (AOU 1998), the FOSRC considered only the specimens purported to be Bullock’s Oriole to elevate the new species to the Florida list. Only two specimens identified as I. bullockii have been collected in Florida: UMRC 1437 (now in collections at Archbold), collected by D. R. Paulson on 24 December 1956, 3 miles east of Princeton, Dade Co., and TTRS 2443, collected by S. L. Olson on 17 October 1964 on Dog Island, Franklin Co. Review of these specimens found that neither was fully consistent with plumage characteristics of winter female or immature I. bullockii (Lee and Birch 1998), but were consistent with I. galbula. The FOSRC concluded that the status of I. bullockii in Florida requires additional research before adding it to the official FOSRC state list. However, photographic evidence existed not considered by the committee. One of these photographs was supplied to the committee by Andy Kratter, of the Florida Museum of Natural History (FOS18) and one by Todd Engstrom, of Tall Timbers Research Station (TTRS P30). On the basis of these photographs, the FOSRC voted unanimously to elevate I. bullockii to the state list based on these historical records. The committee thanks Andy Kratter for bringing this evidence to their attention.
2) A paper by P. W. Smith, G. E. Woolfenden, and A. Sprunt, Jr., recently published in North American Birds (2000, 54:235-240) , reevaluated the evidence for the occurrence of Loggerhead Kingbird in Florida. The FOSRC added the Loggerhead Kingbird to its list of species occurring in Florida based on it’s inclusion in the list of verified species in Robertson and Woolfenden (1991). On the basis of this paper, the FOSRC voted unanimously to evaluate independently the photographic evidence used by Robertson and Woolfenden and, more recently, by Smith et al. and reevaluate the status of this species in Florida. Photos will be solicited from Tall Timbers and evaluated at the next FOSRC meeting.
3) Jon Greenlaw prepared a summary of reports of species included on the FOSRC’s review list published in North American Birds or the Florida Field Naturalist during 1999 - 2001. Jon and Reed Bowman will develop a form letter to send to observers of these birds soliciting a report to the FOSRC.
4) No further research had been done on the evidence for Bicknell’s Thrush from in Florida. A new review of identification of this species has been published, but discussions with members of the AOU’s nomenclature committee suggests that evidence exists to reevaluate the recent split from Gray-cheeked Thrush. The committee decided to table further action on this topic until the AOU committee makes a decision on whether this split will stand.
4. The committee reviewed the list of species to be considered by the FOSRC. The committee unanimously agreed to add the following species. No deletions or other changes were made.
Species added to the list
Red-necked Grebe
Zone-tailed Hawk
Heermann’s Gull
Elegant Tern
Bullock’s Oriole
5. The committee agreed that computerization of the FOSRC catalog should be completed as soon as possible. For review species, the committee agreed that the number of accepted reports per species could be determined and added to the Appendix of the Official State List in the FOSRC annual report.
6. The FOSRC Rules and Procedures dictate that the committee begin a catalog of exotic species reported in Florida. To date, this has not been instituted. Bill Pranty has been working on an annotated list of exotic species reported in Florida. Bill kindly shared this list with the FOSRC. The committee has agreed to review the list, ensure that species so listed are consistent with the definition of exotic species in the Appendix of the Rules and Procedures, and then decide if the FOSRC will adopt the modified list as it’s base list of exotics reported from Florida.
7. As of the Fall 2001 FOS meeting, Mickey Wheeler’s term on the FOSRC expires. The committee thanks Mickey for her contributions. Mickey served as a replacement to P. W. Smith, who resigned from the committee in 1999. The Rules and Procedures state that no member may be reappointed to the Records Committee until an absence from the committee of as least one (1) year; however, there is no specific rule about whether this applies to replacement members. After some deliberation, the committee voted to amend the Rules and Procedures by adding the following sentence “A replacement member to the FOSRC that has served on the committee for four (4) or fewer annual meetings is eligible for reappointment to the committee without a one (1) year waiting period”. This amendment must be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors, but pending their approval, the committee unanimously agreed to recommend Mickey Wheeler, having served on the committee for only three annual meetings, to continue as a member of the FOSRC and forward her name to President Merritt to be appointed to the committee.
8. The FOSRC discussed developing a web page based on the models of several other state records committees, especially Texas and Louisiana. Reed Bowman is willing to develop the web page and Archbold Biological Station has agreed to host the web page, which could be accessed via a link from the FOS web page. Reed will further pursue this with Peter Merritt and Eugene Stoccardo.
Respectfully Submitted,
Reed Bowman
Secretary FOSRC