Rare, irregular and accidental (1 Viewer)

[JJP]

What is "rare"?

I cannot recall seeing an actual discussion of status codes in the G&D Field Guide. It's entirely possible that I missed that discussion in the introductory notes, and if that's the case, I'm hoping someone here can tell me what pages they are on.

If there is no discussion of the codes, I'm wondering why not? The word "rare" in that guide seems to include a lot of birds that sometimes don't get reported for years.

I think we can be certain that Garrigues thought this through, so I'm sure the definitions of "common" etc... are not casual. The "Ornithological Association of Costa Rica" doesn't dig too deeply into that on their website, so I'm pretty sure it's not coming from within Costa Rica birding community.

I can understand not using the word "accidental" which connotes the idea that a bird living outside the Costa Rica border is sometimes seen in Costa Rica. I can see how that might be implied. But I think the use of "irregular" would work better for many species in Costa Rica that are sometimes seen sporadically over a 10-year period.

Any thoughts on that?

 

[Birdingcraft]

I just checked and no, there isn't any detailed discussion about definitions of bird status.

Would be good to include some sort of guidelines about status. I think part of the issue lies in the difference between birds being actually few in number in their given habitat, and being hard to detect. Since I am pretty sure that we don't have population estimates for most species in the country (and really need them), I suspect that Garrigues attributed status based on everything he knew and researched about each species (like how often said species was encountered by many competent observers in appropriate habitat).

I think the issue of status of Costa Rican birds is further muddled by such factors as effects of habitat degradation on bird populations (like edge effects resulting in various forest species becoming much more rare than they would be in extensive, primary forest), and localized movements and migrations within the country that are poorly known and in need of study.

 

[JJP]

I just checked and no, there isn't any detailed discussion about definitions of bird status.

Would be good to include some sort of guidelines about status. I think part of the issue lies in the difference between birds being actually few in number in their given habitat, and being hard to detect. Since I am pretty sure that we don't have population estimates for most species in the country (and really need them), I suspect that Garrigues attributed status based on everything he knew and researched about each species (like how often said species was encountered by many competent observers in appropriate habitat).

I think the issue of status of Costa Rican birds is further muddled by such factors as effects of habitat degradation on bird populations (like edge effects resulting in various forest species becoming much more rare than they would be in extensive, primary forest), and localized movements and migrations within the country that are poorly known and in need of study.

Thanks Pat...

Looking over the Field Guide, it's interesting the difference between "rare" and "very rare". It's almost the difference between seen a few times each year to perhaps maybe once a year or even seen 2-3 times a decade. That's a pretty wide spread.....

I'm not sure how often all of these species are actually seen annually, but it would be interesting to know. Speckled Mourner, for example, is pretty rare everywhere but can be seen in eastern Panama with at least some regularity. Many of these birds are simply missing a lot of standard information, not just about status and distribution, but about life cycle, breeding, etc... Very little is known about them.

Solitary Eagle – very rare
Harpy Eagle – very rare
Crested Eagle – very rare
Black-and-white Hawk Eagle – very rare
Red-throated Caracara – very uncommon!
Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon – rare
Black Rail – no status
Maroon-chested Ground-dove – very rare
Pheasant Cuckoo – Very rare
Rufous Nightjar – rare
Great Jacamar – extremely rare
Black-banded Woodcreeper – rare
Ochre-breasted Antpitta – rare
Speckled Mourner – rare
Gray-headed Piprites - rare

 

[Birdingcraft]

Yes, it does seem to be a pretty wide spread. Right about many of these species missing better information for Costa Rica. We actually know very little about what many species need in terms of microhabitat, etc. Looks like the status for the caracara needs to be changed!

Right about Speckled Mourner. It does seem that the only place where it is regularly seen in eastern Panama. I suspect that extensive, intact forest is needed to support healthy populations of this little known bird.

It would be good to set up some sort of database for these and other species for which information is needed. Maybe ask visiting birders, local guides, and the local ornithological community to send details about sightings and behavior.

Of all the rare birds on that list, the two species for which sightings seem more regular are Black and white Hawk Eagle and Ochre-breasted Antpitta. I know that those are seen now and then by various people each year so I wouldn't put the hawk-eagle in the same category as Harpy, etc.). I think there are very few reports of the others on an annual basis though (and really none for Harpy and Black Rail).

Here is my take on best sites for these and/or info. on sightings:

Solitary Eagle – very rare- Yes, there must be very few in the country. I have heard of this being seen in forest somewhat near Chirripo and Rincon de la Vieja. There are also records from Pocosol and Bosque de la Paz but I know for a fact that several sightings from Bosque de la Paz were actually Great Black Hawk.

Harpy Eagle – very rare- a couple of birds showed up at Tortuguero a few years ago. I rather doubt it still occurs in the Osa sue to lack of sightings despite good coverage. Probably shows up near Laguna del Lagarto and maybe near Hitoy Cerere now and then. Might also turn up at Las Alturas near Panama border.

Crested Eagle – very rare- Recorded every year, mostly from Tortuguero and also from Pocosol. Also scattered reports from other sites along base of mountains on Caribbean slope.

Black-and-white Hawk Eagle – very rare- Turns up now and then at a variety of forsted sites in lowlands and foothills. Osa might be most reliable.

Red-throated Caracara – very uncommon!- A family was found in a forest patch between La Fortuna and Cano Negro this year. Otherwise, occasional sightings from Sirena in Corocovado, and forests near Laguna del Lagarto.

Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon – rare- Rare but easy to overlook. Occurs in any fo the more forested Caribbean lowland sites.


Black Rail – no status- Probably need to check Cano Negro area, marshes near Tempisque River, and marshes near Golfito.

Maroon-chested Ground-dove – very rare- Most reports are from high Talamancas when bamboo is seeding. May have shown up at Bosque de Paz feeders?

Pheasant Cuckoo – Very rare- One was reported from Tambor this year. Other reports in past from near Alajuela and Tarcoles bridge. Who knows what's going on with that one!

Rufous Nightjar – rare- I know that people have seen in very close to the Panama border near Canoas.

Great Jacamar – extremely rare- Yes, pretty rare, we heard one at Pocosol in May and if more people went to Hitoy Cerere and forest around Laguna del Lagarto, it would probably turn up now and then.

Black-banded Woodcreeper – rare- Turns up occasionally at Tapanti and Bosque de la Paz.

Ochre-breasted Antpitta – rare- Regular around San Gerardo field station (Monteverde area), and Tapanti and can show up at other sites.

Speckled Mourner – rare- Very few records of this one. Steve may comment that he and Liz actually had one at Tirimbina!

Gray-headed Piprites - rare- Shows up now and then at El Copal (which may be most regular site for it), Laguna del Lagarto, El Tapir, and Quebrada Gonzalez.

 

[Jim M.]

Red-throated Caracara – very uncommon!

The phrase "very uncommon" is used repeatedly in the G&D guide. Would be interested to hear them explain the difference between "rare" and "very uncommon." That would be an impressive feat of hair splitting!

Jim

 

[JJP]

The phrase "very uncommon" is used repeatedly in the G&D guide. Would be interested to hear them explain the difference between "rare" and "very uncommon." That would be an impressive feat of hair splitting!

Jim

Completely agree.

Thanks Pat for the status reports



By the way, the Skutch and Stiles Field Guide is more definitive. It has a couple of paragraphs on defining status terms (page 55). It uses words like "rare" "casual" and "accidental" fairly liberally and has definitions of each.

Perhaps it's the vocabulary, but the narrative in the SS Field Guide is frequently more explicit.

Finally, I wish Costa Rica had a "review list" and some method for evaluating whether observations should be accepted. Perhaps that's a novel idea in most Central American countries, but I think it's time has come.

 

[Hamhed]

Speckled Mourner – rare- Very few records of this one. Steve may comment that he and Liz actually had one at Tirimbina!

True, Patrick. In January of 2011, on the island. We didn't know what we were seeing but had plenty of time to pull out the book and check the details. We also didn't know how rare this sighting was until we told one of the resident guides who didn't believe us. One of the others did however, and followed us to the site but we were unable to relocate the bird. He did say that there was a particular fruiting shrub there that would attract many birds.
Maybe that bird was worth several other expected species that we didn't find!

Steve

 

[njlarsen]

Finally, I wish Costa Rica had a "review list" and some method for evaluating whether observations should be accepted. Perhaps that's a novel idea in most Central American countries, but I think it's time has come.

This is hopefully implemented even if in an unofficial way in Ebird. It would be a great step forward if most regular observers would start using ebird on regular basis, as that would allow the kind of data collection that Patrick was mentioning.

Niels

 

[Larry Lade]

I just went through my check list of birds that I saw in Costa Rica (April 1999 birding trip). Not surprisingly, I did NOT see any of the fifteen (15) birds you mentioned above.

 

[JJP]

I just went through my check list of birds that I saw in Costa Rica (April 1999 birding trip). Not surprisingly, I did NOT see any of the fifteen (15) birds you mentioned above.

Larry.... neither have I, and I have made 20+ trips to Costa Rica.

Part of the problem is the end-user.... "us".

I think looking through the field guide, we become a little dismissive of the status terms. A Pheasant Cuckoo (rare) may seem to us like say, a Tody Motmot, (which is very uncommon but regular in the right location and habitat). The designations don't feel like such a wide gap. The fact is, the status of these two birds is very different. If you put enough boots on the ground looking for a Tody Motmot, you would find one. If you put that same number of people out looking for a Pheasant Cuckoo, you probably wouldn't.

While these two birds have different status designations in the book, the difference is really a mile wide. I blame us for part of it, but I also think the Garrigues and Dean field guide should have gone in-depth with these terms. The Skutch and Stiles guide does a good job of defining them, and I don't think it would have taken up needless space in the newer book.

Also... while I applaud eBird (and track rarities in Costa Rica with it), it will be not be as good as a committee that asks for photographs or other documentation. Almost all states in this country have a review committee above and beyond an ebird reviewer. Costa Rica is one of the few tropical countries with an ornithological society that could support such a committee. I hate leaving everything up to ebird... and plus I think someone needs to start archiving rare bird images. Just my 2 cents.

JP

 

[njlarsen]

JP,
as someone a little more involved with Ebird: there is an option, not always used, to upload rarity pictures to an Ebird flikr account. The ebird reviewer should always write a note in a comment field about why a distinct decision was made for a given bird, and that can include a link to an uploaded image if it exists. The problem is with coverage: outside of the US, the may not even be a reviewer for some areas!

Niels

 

[JJP]

JP,
as someone a little more involved with Ebird: there is an option, not always used, to upload rarity pictures to an Ebird flikr account. The ebird reviewer should always write a note in a comment field about why a distinct decision was made for a given bird, and that can include a link to an uploaded image if it exists. The problem is with coverage: outside of the US, the may not even be a reviewer for some areas!

Niels

Niels... and I think they should do just what you suggest. I'm all for it.

I just think they need to go beyond that. For instance, who is the eBird reviewer for Costa Rica? How did they get that job? Is that person entirely qualified to single-handedly make decisions about unusual sightings? If not, who is?

I suspect the Costa Rica Ornithological Society is not that strong of an organization, but that's true of a lot of state ornithological society's as well. Yet almost all the states have bird review committees sponsored by the state's ornithological society. A heavily birded country like Costa Rica needs one in my opinion.

There needs to be a body to archive images, review rare bird sightings, establish criteria for acceptance of new species, look into acquiring documentation of Costa Rica specimens housed in museums, and maintain the official list of Costa Rica birds. This is done partly, but as best I can tell, there is no official Review Committee with the appropriate bylaws.

The Costa Rica Ornithological Society has a scientific body with a broad mission, but no real review committee. You can see that broader mission here....

http://www.avesdecostarica.org/page18.html

A review committee would likely help establish a much more in-depth look at observations in the field and a process by which records can be evaluated.

 

[Jim M.]

The Costa Rica Ornithological Society has a scientific body with a broad mission, but no real review committee. You can see that broader mission here....

http://www.avesdecostarica.org/page18.html

A review committee would likely help establish a much more in-depth look at observations in the field and a process by which records can be evaluated.

I agree eBird doesn't eliminate the need for review committees, but I think the CR Ornith. Society's scientific commitee functions as a review committee. It publishes an official list of birds of Costa Rica annually, has a form on their website for reporting rare birds, and has published criteria for acceptance. See here:

http://listaoficialavesdecostarica.wordpress.com/reporte-y-procedimiento/

http://listaoficialavesdecostarica.wordpress.com/about/

Note that their website for the Official List of CR birds appears to be separate from the main website for the CR Orn. Soc.

Best,
Jim

 

[JJP]

I agree eBird doesn't eliminate the need for review committees, but I think the CR Ornith. Society's scientific commitee functions as a review committee. It publishes an official list of birds of Costa Rica annually, has a form on their website for reporting rare birds, and has published criteria for acceptance. See here:

http://listaoficialavesdecostarica.wordpress.com/reporte-y-procedimiento/

http://listaoficialavesdecostarica.wordpress.com/about/

Note that their website for the Official List of CR birds appears to be separate from the main website for the CR Orn. Soc.

Best,
Jim

Jim:

I think they keep the list, but I don't believe they review observations. At least I've never noticed any observation "under review". I think if there was, they would say so.

Review Committees are a voting body that have a specific set of by-laws dedicated to:

determining what constitutes a "review species"
what the criteria is for acceptance of a review species
and whether observations of such a rarity meet the criteria

I suspect that C.O.S. has discussed something like this, but at present I don't see anything online about such a committee. It's entirely possible they have their reasons for not creating one, and I'm just ignorant of it.

To me though, it looks like a hole that needs filling. My real reason for mentioning it is that these committees have real weight when it comes to defining status terms like "common", "uncommon", "rare", "casual", "accidental" etc... which is where this all began anyway.

I'm not really on a crusade.... I'm just curious why a good field guide would let this slide. The earlier field guide deals with it easily and it only took about 2 paragraphs.

 

[Jim M.]

JJP,

FYI, here's a google translation of part of the website I linked to:

Procedure to accept / reject a species to the Official List

Duration for each case: three weeks. Although it may take longer as available to members, external specialist consultations or backlog.

The observer will be informed throughout the process.

Send your form and proof
Documentation received will be distributed among all voting members of the Scientific Committee. Each member casts his vote and to accept or reject the species according to the process described below.
If the species was accepted first observation will be posted online at this website before Zeledonia print edition in November each year. It will also be immediately included in the Official List digital version available on this website.

Voting process

A. A species will be accepted by unanimous decision, or if only one member refuses.

B. A species will be rejected if all members so considered.

C. A species will be rejected if two or more members so manifest. if this occurs, a second round will be developed across the CC-AOCR considering the criteria expressed by the members who made the rejection. After the second round will apply the point A to accept the species. Otherwise it will be completely rejected.

D. For points A, B and C should be performed to define a final round unanimously, the location of the species within the different status in the listing.

​

I think they keep the list, but I don't believe they review observations. At least I've never noticed any observation "under review". I think if there was, they would say so.

Here's a link to some records that have been submitted recently. Some are indicated as having been accepted by the committee.

http://listaoficialavesdecostarica.wordpress.com/nuevos-registros/

Best,
Jim

 

[Birdingcraft]

As Jim points out, the AOCR does have a committee that reviews records but it seems that this is mostly for possible additions to the official list and birds already on the list but for which the AOCR lacks photographic evidence. I am on the advisory board for this and regularly receive images and vocalizations for which I give my input regarding identification. That said, although I think there is some review of reports of very rare species already on the list, it doesn't appear to be as nearly as involved as review committees that Americans, Canadians, and Europeans are familiar with.

I agree with JJP that the AOCR needs to set up a better system with:
1. A list of "review species" that includes near threatened, vulnerable, and endangered species, as well as vagrants, and species that are little known or very rare in Costa Rica such as Pheasant Cuckoo.
2. And encouraging of observers to send fill out rare bird reports, send photos, etc.

The rules for reviewing bird species are already in place but I think we need to have a more robust reviewing system (guessing that one isn't already in place) to get a better idea of bird status and changes in bird populations to be capable of making more accurate and timely decisions regarding conservation of birds in Costa Rica.

 

[JJP]

As Jim points out, the AOCR does have a committee that reviews records but it seems that this is mostly for possible additions to the official list and birds already on the list but for which the AOCR lacks photographic evidence. I am on the advisory board for this and regularly receive images and vocalizations for which I give my input regarding identification. That said, although I think there is some review of reports of very rare species already on the list, it doesn't appear to be as nearly as involved as review committees that Americans, Canadians, and Europeans are familiar with.

I agree with JJP that the AOCR needs to set up a better system with:
1. A list of "review species" that includes near threatened, vulnerable, and endangered species, as well as vagrants, and species that are little known or very rare in Costa Rica such as Pheasant Cuckoo.
2. And encouraging of observers to send fill out rare bird reports, send photos, etc.

The rules for reviewing bird species are already in place but I think we need to have a more robust reviewing system (guessing that one isn't already in place) to get a better idea of bird status and changes in bird populations to be capable of making more accurate and timely decisions regarding conservation of birds in Costa Rica.

Thanks to both of you for pointing this out (and thanks for the link, Jim. I looked all over for that and must have missed it).

I believe Pat's statement "but it seems that this is mostly for possible additions to the official list and birds already on the list but for which the AOCR lacks photographic evidence" is probably accurate.

I think COS is quite conscious of their list and making sure it has integrity. And I believe it does.

However, my real question (and Pat if you can answer this, that would be great) is does any rare observation of say, Great Jacamar or Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon get reviewed?

Where exactly is the "review list" published? How would anyone know which birds to submit documentation on?

 

[Birdingcraft]

However, my real question (and Pat if you can answer this, that would be great) is does any rare observation of say, Great Jacamar or Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon get reviewed?

Where exactly is the "review list" published? How would anyone know which birds to submit documentation on?

No, there isn't any official review of the species you mention. If someone happens to report a possible addition to the list or nearly extirpated species like Red-throated Caracara, and Harpy and Crested Eagles, I believe that the committee asks for photos or a report and try to validate it but I haven't heard or seen anything beyond that. I could be wrong about that but haven't heard otherwise.

No, as far as I can tell, there isn't any list of species for which the AOCR would like information. If there is, I haven't found it.

I do feel that such a list is certainly needed, though, to get a better handle on the status and population trends of various species.

 

[JJP]

No, there isn't any official review of the species you mention. If someone happens to report a possible addition to the list or nearly extirpated species like Red-throated Caracara, and Harpy and Crested Eagles, I believe that the committee asks for photos or a report and try to validate it but I haven't heard or seen anything beyond that. I could be wrong about that but haven't heard otherwise.

No, as far as I can tell, there isn't any list of species for which the AOCR would like information. If there is, I haven't found it.

I do feel that such a list is certainly needed, though, to get a better handle on the status and population trends of various species.

Thanks... kind of what I thought

It wouldn't surprise me if such a list is forthcoming eventually. The proper mechanisms seem to be in place.

 

[Birdingcraft]

Thanks... kind of what I thought

It wouldn't surprise me if such a list is forthcoming eventually. The proper mechanisms seem to be in place.

I have been hoping to become more involved with the AOCR and setting up ways to better monitor bird populations is at the top of my list of things to do. A list of review species would be a big part of that!