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Guidelines for Rarities Committees
Compilation of the Texel Guidelines
and the Helgoland-, Kekskemet-, Blahova- and Lednice Minutes
Introduction.
An unusual bird sighting in a given area does not
necessarily constitute a scientifically insignificant event. Such cases can be
of interest in the context of migration, orientation behaviour and range
extension, and as consequences of weather patterns. They have to be carefully documented
to be useful in contributing to answering scientific questions.
There are numerous examples of rare bird records which,
according to the knowledge of that time, were considered insignificant
deviations from the norm but which later proved to be signs of a newly
recognised phenomenon. Only long-term documentation at a high standard can
reveal such patterns which may be of special interest in the light of rapid
environmental changes.
The recent enormous rise in bird(watch)ing activity and
improvement in field identification have not only led to a steep increase in
rare-bird reports but also facilitate their documentation. The sighting of a
rare bird is only the first step in establishing a record: evidence must be
submitted to an independent committee. Such rarities committees, now well
established in many countries worldwide, provide a valuable service to the field observers and the scientific community alike by scrutinising records,
publishing them in annual reports and putting on (generally accessible) file
all information pertaining to observations of rare birds.
In many older and still too many contemporary
publications, such observations or claims have not been checked by a
competent committee and lack any form of publicly available documentation.
These cases are scientifically worthless and should no longer burden the
ornithological literature.
Rarities committees are not made mainly to verify claims
of twitchers or to produce long country lists. The occurrence of rarities is a
biological phenomenon to be studied like any other part of ornithology. Thus,
it has to be treated in the same way: from a scientific point of view. The
listing of records is just the beginning but probably the part birders enjoy
most. The neglected and most important part is to use this knowledge in
further research. If one looks at rarities in this way, it becomes evident
that a scientist can work only with proven or substantiated records, not with
claims or unverified reports. One recklessly accepted report may distort
a whole pattern of occurrence.
To reveal such patterns, especially in very rarely
occuring species, the analysis of records from vast areas is essential.
Therefore, close cooperation among European rarities committees is neccessary.
Every rarities committee (or, better, every scientist working in field
ornithology) in Europe must be able to trust the decisions of any other
rarities committee. This objective is best served by a standardised method for
checking reports and reaching clear decisions. This method should be used in
every European country (or even worldwide).
To state it more bluntly, ornithology is a science and
not a playground for listers. Rarities committees are responsible for the
decisions they publish.
Guidelines.
Barthel Christine (1994): Zweite Konferenz europäischer
Seltenheitenkommissionen auf Helgoland. Limicola 8: 134-137
Barthel Peter H., Pieter Bison & Claudia Wilds (1993): Guidelines
for rarities committees. British Birds 86: 301-302
Barthel Peter H., Pieter Bison & Claudia Wilds (1993): Background
and technical aspects of work of rarities committees. Dutch Birding 15: 31-32
Conzemius Tom (1996): Minutes of 3rd Conference of European Rarities
Committees. British Birds 89: 51-53
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