Birdwatch list updated

One of the authorities used by BUBO Listing for Britain and Ireland is the checklist produced by Birdwatch magazine. Originally published in 2006, a second edition has been produced by Dominic Mitchell and Keith Vinicombe in the April 2008 edition. The changes incorporated in this new edition are now reflected within BUBO Listing.

The main differences are as follows:

• Pacific Diver added
• Yellow-nosed Albatross added
• Great Blue Heron added
• Northern Harrier split
• Amur Falcon removed
• Wilson's Snipe added

• Brown Skua removed, but replaced by 'Southern skua' Stercorarius sp. (we have not included this grouping within BUBO Listing)
• Glaucous-winged Gull added
• Long-billed Murrelet added
• Eastern Yellow Wagtail split
• Olive-tree Warbler added
• Canada Warbler added to the appendix of species recorded in Ireland but not Britain.

In addition, the ordering of the gulls and the Tringa sandpipers and allies has been altered and there are a few changes to latin names. Finally, Orphean Warbler from the first edition has been replaced by Western Orphean Warbler in this second edition.

BUBO Listing encourages British birders to consider making use of the Birdwatch authority in addition to a BOU list. Remember you can easily convert one to the other in 'Create New List'.