Magnificent Frigatebird

The BOURC has admitted Magnificent Frigatebird to category A of the British List. This is for the remarkable record of an adult male found near Whitchurch, Shropshire on 7 November 2005. The bird was taken into care but unfortunately died shortly after.

Clearly we're not expecting BUBO Listers to be adding this to their lists, although interestingly unidentified Frigatebirds were reported in the few days prior to this sighting: these were from Porthgwarra (seen by a non-birder) and from Flat Holm island in the river Severn seen flying into Avon near Weston-super-Mare (accepted as Frigatebird sp by BBRC). There is a possibility that these records relate to the same individual moving northwards before it met its untimely end. It will be interesting to see whether any BUBO Listers were involved in these sightings!

The full BOURC and BBRC announcement can be read at http://newsbou.blogspot.com/2007/07/magnificent-frigatebird-admitted-to.html.