2016 - World Yearlist Record Attempt (1 Viewer)

[Richard Klim]

Himalayan Buzzard

world.observation.org/arjan2.php (5 Jan)

Is anyone really sure of the status of Himalayan Buzzard Buteo refectus/burmanicus in Sri Lanka?

Ferguson-Lees & Christie 2001 (Raptors), del Hoyo et al 2015 (HBW Alive), H&M4, IOC and eBird/Clements all suggest that it's a largely sedentary resident in Himalaya.

Rasmussen & Anderton 2005/2012 (South Asia) states: "...winter visitor to Himalayas and S Assam hills (Meghalaya, Manipur), Bangladesh. One dark phase specimen from Sri Lanka (BMNH 1953.16.2); no other specimens traced from south of Himalayas...". And yet it's mapped as a winter visitor throughout Sri Lanka!

???

 

[Thijs Fijen]

Another similar, but subtly different, example is 'Emerald Dove' Chalcophaps indica. IOC splits C indica into Common Emerald Dove C [indica] indica sensu stricto and Pacific Emerald Dove C [indica] longirostris. In this example, the split is recognised by Observation.org, but nevertheless users are still given the option of entering records of the pre-split parent species – Emerald Dove C indica sensu lato (IOC species unspecified) – as was presumably the case here.

Of course, we all know that it's the nominate/'Common' species that occurs in Sri Lanka, the scientific name is unaffected, and indeed the qualifier 'Common' is frequently omitted from English names (and taken as implicit) in informal usage. But for absolute clarity, it's perhaps preferable that all common and scientific names in the year list accurately respect the IOC taxonomy and species names (rather than using a mix of sensu lato / sensu stricto English names).

Apologies for such trivial nit-picking (as usual!)...

Thank you for the nit-picking. I've fixed this and we probably would not have noticed.. Keep nit-picking :t:

I am currently working on the IOC Updates as they were lacking behind for a year. I've nearly finished 5.2 and start soon on 5.3. However, with the increased attention for Arjan's amazing trip, I've already split the Terpsiphone species So please do keep commenting.

In regards to the updates: The updates have to be performed manually.. You can imagine the work.. Unfortunately, users who used, for example, C indica before the split could have meant C [indica] longirostris.. They have to change that themselves. I am also thinking of giving them a Bubo-like notification. We do our best to correct observations, but again a lot of work and expertise needed (complicated by many old bird books/names)!

 

[Richard Klim]

I am currently working on the IOC Updates as they were lacking behind for a year. I've nearly finished 5.2 and start soon on 5.3. However, with the increased attention for Arjan's amazing trip, I've already split the Terpsiphone species

That's very encouraging, Thijs. :t: And v6.1 should be released this month (but with few changes at species level)...

(Earlier I was just concerned that Arjan might have problems recording species recently split by IOC.)

 

[Paul Chapman]

I would have expected him to have recorded House Crow on Sri Lanka today? When I searched for today's species, I simply got the 53 additions:-

http://world.observation.org/user/l...[]=I&akt_g=0&kle_g=0&exo=0&esc=0&sorteer=alfa

All the best

House Crow recorded today. Am I doing this search wrong or is he only adding birds that he believes are additions to the database? If the latter then this would cause him significant issues on taxonomic clarifications at the end of the year?

Further - do we have a definite answer on 'heard onlys'?

(Spreadsheet at home so I'll look for unique species later. Progress continuing on Noah's IOC additions..... B )

All the best

 

[Nohatch]

House Crow recorded today. Am I doing this search wrong or is he only adding birds that he believes are additions to the database? If the latter then this would cause him significant issues on taxonomic clarifications at the end of the year?

Further - do we have a definite answer on 'heard onlys'?

(Spreadsheet at home so I'll look for unique species later. Progress continuing on Noah's IOC additions..... B )

All the best

Don't think so Paul, as he's listed Common Sandpiper again. Did wonder about the lack of overlap with yesterday's list as well - but 29 additions if you count UAE House Crow as feral.

 

[Richard Klim]

IOC English names

Sorry, more trivia...

IOC English names are: Sri Lanka (vs Ceylon) Frogmouth, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka White-eye, Sri Lanka Hill Myna.

Also: Green (vs Little Green) Bee-eater, Isabelline (vs Daurian) Shrike, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (vs Canary Flycatcher), Pale Crag Martin (vs Crag-Martin), Leaf Warbler spp (vs Leaf-Warbler), Legge's (vs White-throated) Flowerpecker.

 

[Richard Klim]

Orange Minivet

Orange Minivet Pericrocotus [flammeus] flammeus in Sri Lanka, not Scarlet Minivet P [f] speciosus.

 

[Richard Klim]

Square-tailed Bulbul

Square-tailed Bulbul Hypsipetes [leucocephalus] ganeesa in Sri Lanka, not Black Bulbul H [l] leucocephalus.

 

[Richard Klim]

Indian Jungle Crow

Indian Jungle Crow Corvus [macrorhynchos] culminatus in Sri Lanka, not Large-billed Crow C [m] macrorhynchos.

 

[Vincent van der Spek]

Hi Paul,

Yes, for the year list he'll count heard-only's. Beating the record without heard-only's would be impossible I reckon! It's common practice during Big Days as well (incl. last autumn's world record in Ecuador).

He said he would record them as such in Observation. He'll also publish all heard-only's in the final list. If you have a little patience - say a year - you can find out how many birds he's actually seen. ;-)

PS no trivia Richard! I send them all to Arjan.

 

[Paul Chapman]

One added today so up to 18 species recorded that Noah missed:-

Common Scoter
Rough-legged Hawk
Tundra Swan
Rock Pipit
Pine Bunting
Snow Bunting
Tundra Bean-Goose
Grey Partridge
Spotted Redshank
Pink-footed Goose
Black Guillemot
Greater Spotted Eagle
Red-throated Pipit
Pacific Swift
Sooty Gull
Persian Shearwater
Plain Leaf-Warbler
Crimson-fronted Barbet

A further seven species today that Noah did not record:-
Pied Thrush
Sri Lanka Wood-pigeon
Dull-blue Flycatcher
Eyebrowed Thrush
Sri Lanka Whistling-Thrush
Sri Lanka Bush-Warbler
Yellow-eared Bulbul

So 25 species so far by the close of day five. (Eastern Cattle Egret is an IOC split that will be added when Noah updates his list for IOC taxonomy.)

http://world.observation.org/arjan2.php

On a comparative basis to Noah, take the 275 - delete Himalayan Buzzard (in error) and Eastern Cattle Egret (on taxonomy) - and add Chilean Flamingo, Egyptian Goose, Grey Francolin, Ring-necked Pheasant, Black Swan, Rock Pigeon & Rose-ringed Parakeet so 280.

All the best

 

[Thijs Fijen]

Sorry, more trivia...

IOC English names are: Sri Lanka (vs Ceylon) Frogmouth, Sri Lanka Blue Magpie, Sri Lanka White-eye, Sri Lanka Hill Myna.

Also: Green (vs Little Green) Bee-eater, Isabelline (vs Daurian) Shrike, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher (vs Canary Flycatcher), Pale Crag Martin (vs Crag-Martin), Leaf Warbler spp (vs Leaf-Warbler), Legge's (vs White-throated) Flowerpecker.

:t: Done

It appears that the old English names were kept as 'preferred' name (which is erroneous) and the subspecies also kept the old name (i.e., was not changed). You'll find more of these 'mistakes'. Do keep reporting them, here, or here, or by personal message.

 

[Nohatch]

delete Himalayan Buzzard (in error)

Himalayan Buzzard is the only one shown for Sri Lanka in Grimmett et al (Bird of the Indian Subcontinent) - but it seems more likely that the Buteo's regularly reported from SL are migrants from further north...Eastern Buzzard then?

Joost

P.S. Note Little Cormorant was added later last night

 

[Richard Klim]

Himalayan Buzzard

delete Himalayan Buzzard (in error)

Himalayan Buzzard is the only one shown for Sri Lanka in Grimmett et al (Bird of the Indian Subcontinent) - but it seems more likely that the Buteo's regularly reported from SL are migrants from further north...Eastern Buzzard then?

I have no expertise on this (and have never visited Sri Lanka), but it has always seemed to me that information about the movements of Himalayan Buzzard (and occurrence in Sri Lanka) is rather vague and conflicting. Are Buteo spp in Sri Lanka being positively identified as Himalayan, or simply assumed to be such...?

Has Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo vulpinus been eliminated?
Grimmett et al 2011: "Common Buzzard Buteo buteo: Probably widespread winter visitor [to Indian Subcontinent] but status uncertain."
Rasmussen & Anderton 2012: "Buteos winter regularly in Sri Lanka, where 'Steppe', although expected, has not yet been confirmed."

A task for Dick Forsman...

PS. Re Grimmett et al: despite the mapped wintering range, the text states only "Resident and winter visitor to Himalayas; also winter visitor to NE India."

 

[Nohatch]

Good point - I've messaged Arjan for more info (but suspect he's somewhat distracted )

 

[Paul Chapman]

The weight of evidence is mainly one way:-

http://www.hbw.com/species/himalayan-buzzard-buteo-refectus

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himalayan_buzzard

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Sri_Lanka

But Ceylon Bird Club list equivocal as is Sunbird attachment:-

http://www.ceylonbirdclub.org/sri-lanka-bird-list.php

So fair enough. I did not see any additions for today yet.

http://world.observation.org/user/lifelist/84878?jaar=2016

All the best

Paul

 

[JustinJansen]

Right link in use now (contra earlier link): http://world.observation.org/bigyear

 

[Vincent van der Spek]

@ Nohatch: thanks for sending Arjan that message!
As his back-office, I also do that, and I keep an eye on several blogs. So maybe it's good not to overload him with similar messages?

I can see he hasn't received any messages today, nor has Max. No update either, so I figure they have no wifi today.

Cheers!
PS pics from Max here (blog in Dutch): http://www.maxbirding.com/

 

[Nohatch]

Apologies Vincent I will message you in future.
Brilliant pictures by the way!!

 

[Richard Klim]

Arjan Dwarshuis, Dutch Birding: January 1-4.

Re Hypocolius. If heard-only records are considered acceptable for a big year, then I'd say that seeing a distant "compact flock of long tailed birds with rounded wings" departing an established Hypocolius roost site ought to be good enough (although arguably unsatisfactory for a life list).