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Arizona Rare Report
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Arizona Bird Committee Report In addition to reviewing what was and was not accepted, the report provides insight into what is needed to document birds, what the decisions are based on, and the changing status of rare species. Anyone interested in the occurrence of rarities in the state and current Arizona-specific identification problems will find something of interest in the report. Western Birds is available in the TAS library or from Western Field Ornithologists Treasurer/Membership Secretary: Dori Myers, 6011 Saddletree Lane, Yorba Linda, CA 92886. The report also appears on the ABC web page: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ghrosenberg/ArizonaBirdCommittee.html.
The committee now consists of eight members, each of whom is elected to a four year term. Members of the ABC in 2001 include Roy Jones, Dave Kreuper, Narca Moore-Craig, Gary Rosenberg (also Secretary), Will Russell, Mark Stevenson, and newly elected members Rich Hoyer and Dave Stejskal. (Chris Benesh and Troy Corman have just completed terms.) Janet Witzeman, ABC Secretary for many years, continues to serve as Assistant Secretary. All serve on a volunteer basis. The bulk of the work of the ABC consists of evaluating submitted reports of “Review Species”. Review Species are the rarest of the rare in the state. They are marked with asterisks on the AZ State Checklist, SE AZ Checklist, Finding Birds in Southeast Arizona, (all available in the Tucson Audubon Nature Shop) and on the ABC web page. All birders are requested to submit written details and physical evidence (photos, videotape, sound recordings, field sketches, etc.) of their sightings of Review Species. Because all birders make inadvertent mistakes (and a very few are ethically-challenged), evaluation serves to determine if the evidence supports the identification to an acceptable degree of certainty before the report becomes an accepted part of the official record. Of course, the result of this process is not always the same as determining “The Truth.” “The Truth” is not always ascertainable. Believable, probably correct reports are not always adequately documented and honest mistakes can be given brilliant written treatment. Another issue that arises is whether a bird has arrived due to unnatural events (like the notorious imported 1989 Double-striped Thick-Knee in Yuma, which was brought there on a plane! See Birding, Vol. 23, pp.118-119, 1991). The goal is to make the best judgment from the available data. Generally, the more improbable a species’ occurrence is, and the harder it is to separate from similar species, the higher the “burden of proof” for acceptance of a record. Physical evidence is always the best. (If you don’t have the gear for that, find someone who does to help you. Even the family video camera can be very useful!) Because no birder has direct access to the Absolute Indisputable Bird Truth, it is important not to be overly sensitive to the ABC’s decision about one’s reports. Members of the committee have had reports that were not accepted, even when they may have been right! A new edition of the Field Checklist of the Birds of Arizona is expected from the ABC in 2001. It will incorporate updated taxonomy and all of the new species accepted since the last list of 1994. First state records generate great interest among students of bird distribution and listers. (And “firsts” carry the greatest burden of proof.) In the past few years Black Storm-Petrel, Short-tailed Hawk, Pacific Golden-Plover, Yellow-footed Gull, Carolina Wren, Northern Wheatear, Eastern Towhee and others have been accepted for the state list - all supported by physical documentation. The distributional information in the Checklist is also an invaluable tool for curious birders. All birders have a role to play in the ABC’s processes. There is still much to be learned about bird distribution in Arizona as the winged wonders increase, decrease or stray. Your participation is requested in the record-submitting process. As can be seen by comparing the list of Arizona contributors to North American Birds to the lists of other states, Arizonans have a relatively low rate of participation. Your birding skills will improve if you get into the habit of keeping field notes on your sightings and writing up sightings of rare birds, both of which habits will draw your attention to the details that need to be seen to be more accurate. Please submit documentation to the ABC for all sightings of Review Species. (Posting descriptions to the Arizona-New Mexico chat line is not adequate.) And submit your seasonal reports of birds that are rare for time or place to the regional editors of North American Birds. Learn more about the ABC, view state and review lists and photos, and submit reports on the ABC web page: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ghrosenberg/ArizonaBirdCommittee.html. And report very rare birds immediately to 408-8348 and/or keith_kamper@comcast.net. If you want help with documentation, mention it in your call. Send written reports and physical documentation to: Gary H. Rosenberg, ABC Secretary, PO Box 91856, Tucson, AZ 85752-1856. Report forms are available on the ABC web page or from TAS. ABC Reports appear in Western Birds, Vol. 4, No. 2(1973), Vol. 6, No. 4(1975), Vol. 29, No. 3(1998), Vol.30, No. 2(1999) and upcoming Vol. 32, No. 1(2001). (Most are available in the TAS or UA reference libraries.) Another valuable reference in the TAS and UA libraries is: Dittman, D & Lasley, G, How to Document Rare Birds. Birding 24(3):145, June, 1992. Just as important as knowing how to identify the birds! Bird questions? Check Birding | General questions? Contact: Tucson Audubon Society | Webmaster: Email This page was updated on 01/08/09 |