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BirdLife Australia Rarities Committee report

Friday, 20 December 2024

  • Estimated reading time 2 minutes
Photographed by JJ Harrison. Nordmann's Greenshank

Forty years of assessing and recording sightings of rare birds in Australia.

The BirdLife Australia Rarities Committee (BARC) is responsible for appraising reports of rarities and maintaining a list of rare bird sightings in Australia as well as its external territories and the surrounding seas.

The first accepted record assessed by BARC was a report of a Black-crowned Night-Heron, seen on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in 1941. Since then, BARC has examined reports of more than a hundred different unusual species that have visited our shores and islands or have been seen plying Australian waters. These exotic birds range from Oriental Honey-Buzzards, Chinese Pond Herons and a Mugimaki Flycatcher, to Orange-fronted Fruit-Doves, Aleutian Terns and Cinnamon Bitterns (and many, many more). Together, they comprise more than 1,200 sightings, so far…

Over the years, numerous new species have been added to the Working List of Australian Birds, but only after they were accepted following appraisal by BARC. Some have turned out to be regular visitors since they were first recorded here, while other species have been seen here just once.

One of BARC’s important roles is to weed out incorrect and unsubstantiated reports of rare birds, so that only confirmed records make it into scientific literature. Scientific integrity is paramount.

BirdLife Australia thanks BARC stalwart Tony Palliser for his tireless and exceptional work in managing these records over the course of many years, and, indeed, we gratefully acknowledge all the members of the Rarities Committee – past and present – for their valuable contributions.

Please direct any queries or feedback to birdata@birdlife.org.au

BirdLife Australia Rarities Committee Report Archive – November 2024

Current list of birds BARC is reviewing

If members see anything on this list it should be reported to BARC for acceptance.

BirdLife Australia Rarities Committee Unusual Record Report Form

 

Scientific name English name Exceptions
Branta canadensis Canada Goose
Tadorna variegata Paradise Shelduck
Aythya fuligula Tufted Duck
Spatula querquedula Garganey
Spatula clypeata Northern Shoveler
Mareca penelope Eurasian Wigeon
Anas acuta Northern Pintail
Anas crecca Common Teal
Tachybaptus ruficollis Little Grebe
Phoenicopterus roseus Greater Flamingo
Phaethon aethereus Red-billed Tropicbird
Streptopelia orientalis Oriental Turtle Dove
Streptopelia tranquebarica Red Collared-Dove
Chalcophaps stephani Stephan’s Dove
Caloenas nicobarica Nicobar Pigeon
Ducula concinna Blue-tailed Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula mullerii Collared Imperial-Pigeon Except in the Torres Strait
Ducula zoeae Zoe’s Imperial-Pigeon
Ducula bicolor Pied Imperial-Pigeon
Ptilinopus aurantiifrons Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove
Ptilinopus iozonus Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove
Caprimulgus indicus Grey Nightjar
Caprimulgus affinis Savanna Nightjar
Mearnsia novaeguineae Papuan Spine-tailed Swift
Hirundapus cochinchinensis Silver-backed Needletail
Collocalia esculenta Glossy Swiftlet Except at Christmas I.
Aerodramus vanikorensis Uniform Swiftlet
Apus nipalensis House Swift
Apus apus Common Swift
Centropus bengalensis Lesser Coucal
Clamator coromandus Chestnut-winged Cuckoo
Eudynamys scolopaceus Asian Koel Except in the Indian Ocean Territories
Urodynamis taitensis Long-tailed Cuckoo
Surniculus lugubris Square-tailed Drongo Cuckoo
Hierococcyx sparverioides Large Hawk-Cuckoo
Hierococcyx nisicolor Whistling Hawk-cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus Indian Cuckoo
Cuculus canorus Common Cuckoo
Rallina fasciata Red-legged Crake
Lewinia striata Slaty-breasted Rail
Crex crex Corncrake
Zapornia fusca Ruddy-breasted Crake
Amaurornis phoenicurus White-breasted Waterhen Except in the Indian Ocean Territories
Gallicrex cinerea Watercock
Gallinula chloropus Common Moorhen
Gallinula angulata Lesser Moorhen
Aptenodytes forsteri Emperor Penguin
Aptenodytes patagonicus King Penguin Except in the Subantarctic
Pygoscelis papua Gentoo Penguin Except in the Subantarctic
Pygoscelis adeliae Adelie Penguin
Pygoscelis antarcticus Chinstrap Penguin Except around Heard I.
Eudyptes schlegeli Royal Penguin Except around Macquarie I.
Eudyptes chrysolophus Macaroni Penguin Except around Heard I.
Eudyptes moseleyi Northern Rockhopper Penguin
Eudyptes chrysocome Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Eudyptes sclateri Erect-crested Penguin
Eudyptes robustus Snares Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus Magellanic Penguin
Fregetta maoriana New Zealand Storm-Petrel
Fregetta lineata New Caledonian Storm-Petrel Except those from the NSW QLD border Seamounts
Nesofregetta fuliginosa Polynesian Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates castro Band-rumped Storm Petrel
Hydrobates matsudairae Matsudaira’s Storm Petrel Except off northern WA
Hydrobates leucorhoa Leach’s Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates monorhis Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates tristrami Tristram’s Storm-Petrel
Diomedea amsterdamensis Amsterdam Albatross
Diomedea dabbenena Tristan Albatross
Phoebastria immutabilis Laysan Albatross
Thalassarche chlororhynchos Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross
Thalassarche eremita Chatham Albatross
Thalassoica antarctica Antarctic Petrel
Pagodroma nivea Snow Petrel
Pachyptila vittata Broad-billed Prion
Pachyptila crassirostris Fulmar Prion
Pterodroma brevipes Collared Petrel
Pterodroma longirostris Stejneger’s Petrel
Pterodroma pycrofti Pycroft’s Petrel
Pterodroma arminjoniana Trindade Petrel
Pterodroma heraldica Herald Petrel Except at Raine I.
Pterodroma alba Phoenix Petrel
Pterodroma cervicalis occulta Vanuatu Petrel
Pterodroma externa Juan Fernandez Petrel
Pterodroma magentae Magenta Petrel
Pterodroma incerta Atlantic Petrel
Ardenna creatopus Pink-footed Shearwater
Calonectris borealis Cory’s Shearwater
Puffinus newelli Newell’s Shearwater
Puffinus bailloni Tropical Shearwater
Puffinus puffinus Manx Shearwater
Puffinus heinrothi Heinroth’s Shearwater
Puffinus elegans Subantarctic Shearwater Except in the Subantarctic
Bulweria fallax Jouanin’s Petrel
Bulweria bulwerii Bulwer’s Petrel Except off northern WA
Pelecanoides whenuahouensis Whenua Hou Diving-Petrel
Pelecanoides georgicus South Georgian Diving-Petrel Except around Heard I.
Ixobrychus sinensis Yellow Bittern
Ixobrychus eurhythmus Schrenck’s Bittern
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus Cinnamon Bittern
Gorsachius goisagi Japanese Night-Heron
Gorsachius melanolophus Malayan Night-Heron
Nycticorax nycticorax Black-crowned Night-Heron
Ardeola bacchus Chinese Pond Heron
Ardeola speciosa Javan Pond Heron
Ardea cinerea Grey Heron
Ardea purpurea Purple Heron
Ardea intermedia Intermediate Egret
Egretta gularis Western Reef Egret Except  Cocos (Keeling) Is
Fregata andrewsi Christmas Island Frigatebird Except around Christmas I.
Papasula abbotti Abbott’s Booby Except around Christmas I.
Sula granti Nazca Booby
Morus capensis Cape Gannet Except at  Gannet colonies in Vic.
Haematopus finschi South Island Pied Oystercatcher
Pluvialis dominica American Golden Plover
Charadrius hiaticula Ringed Plover
Charadrius semipalmatus Semipalmated Plover
Charadrius alexandrinus Kentish Plover
Charadrius asiaticus Caspian Plover
Vanellus cinereus Grey-headed Lapwing
Hydrophasianus chirurgus Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Bartramia longicauda Upland Sandpiper
Numenius arquata Eurasian Curlew
Calidris himantopus Stilt Sandpiper
Calidris temminckii Temminck’s Stint
Calidris alpina Dunlin
Calidris bairdii Baird’s Sandpiper
Calidris fuscicollis White-rumped Sandpiper
Calidris mauri Western Sandpiper
Limnodromus griseus Short-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus Long-billed Dowitcher
Gallinago stenura Pin-tailed Snipe Except in the Indian Ocean Territories
Steganopus tricolor Wilson’s Phalarope
Phalaropus fulicarius Grey Phalarope
Tringa ochropus Green Sandpiper
Tringa flavipes Lesser Yellowlegs
Glareola pratincola Collared Pratincole
Tringa erythropus Spotted Redshank
Tringa guttifer Nordmann’s Greenshank
Turnix olivii Buff-breasted Button-quail
Xema sabini Sabine’s Gull
Chroicocephalus ridibundus Black-headed Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla Laughing Gull
Larus crassirostris Black-tailed Gull
Larus canus Mew Gull
Larus fuscus Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus schistisagus Slaty-backed Gull
Onychoprion aleuticus Aleutian Tern
Sternula saundersi Saunders’s Tern Except at the Cocos (Keeling) Is
Chlidonias albostriatus Black-fronted Tern
Chlidonias niger Black Tern
Sterna vittata Antarctic Tern
Catharacta maccormicki South Polar Skua Dark morph birds only
Ninox japonica Northern Boobook
Otus sunia Oriental Scops-owl
Bubo ketupu Buffy Fish-Owl
Pernis ptilorynchus Oriental Honey-buzzard
Henicopernis longicauda Long-tailed Honey-buzzard
Aquila gurneyi Gurney’s Eagle
Accipiter soloensis Chinese Goshawk
Accipiter gularis Japanese Sparrowhawk
Accipiter hiogaster Variable Goshawk
Upupa epops Eurasian Hoopoe
Coracias garrulus European Roller
Rhyticeros plicatus Blyth’s Hornbill
Alcedo atthis Common Kingfisher
Halcyon pileata Black-capped Kingfisher
Tanysiptera hydrocharis Little Paradise-Kingfisher
Falco amurensis Amur Falcon
Falco subbuteo Eurasian Hobby
Pitta moluccensis Blue-winged Pitta
Pitta nympha Fairy Pitta
Pitta sordida Hooded Pitta
Pitta elegans Elegant Pitta
Dicrurus annectans Crow-billed Drongo
Monarcha cinerascens Island Monarch
Lanius tigrinus Tiger Shrike
Lanius cristatus Brown Shrike
Pica pica Eurasian Magpie
Corvus splendens House Crow
Locustella ochotensis Middendorff’s Grasshopper-Warbler
Locustella certhiola Pallas’s Grasshopper-Warbler
Urosphena squameiceps Asian Stubtail
Delichon dasypus Asian House Martin
Phylloscopus inornatus Yellow-browed Warbler
Phylloscopus fuscatus Dusky Warbler
Phylloscopus borealis Arctic Warbler
Phylloscopus examinandus Kamchatka Leaf-Warbler
Pastor roseus Rosy Starling
Agropsar sturninus Purple-backed Starling
Agropsar philippensis Chestnut-cheeked Starling
Geokichla sibirica Siberian Thrush
Turdus obscurus Eyebrowed Thrush
Muscicapa griseisticta Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Muscicapa sibirica Dark-sided Flycatcher
Muscicapa dauurica Asian Brown Flycatcher
Cyanoptila cyanomelana Blue-and-White Flycatcher
Luscinia cyane Siberian Blue Robin
Calliope calliope Siberian Rubythroat
Ficedula narcissina Narcissus Flycatcher
Ficedula mugimaki Mugimaki Flycatcher
Monticola solitarius Blue Rock-Thrush
Oenanthe isabellina Isabelline Wheatear
Lonchura pallida Pale-headed Munia
Dendronanthus indicus Forest Wagtail
Anthus gustavi Pechora Pipit
Anthus trivalis Tree Pipit
Anthus cervinus Red-throated Pipit
Motacilla citreola Citrine Wagtail
Fringilla coelebs Common Chaffinch
Acanthis flammea Common Redpoll Except at Macquarie I.
Emberiza citrinella Yellowhammer
Recent Changes
White Wagtail removed
New Caledonia Storm Petrel NSW/ QLD seamount records no longer required
Variable Goshawk added
Stephan’s Dove added
Intermediate Egret Except Xmas and Cocos?
Siberian Rubythroat added
Asian Stubtail added
Blyth’s Hornill added
Garganey Placed back on to the list
Nazca Booby added

 

Nordmann’s Greenshank on Yirrganydji Country, Cairns, 2022. Photo by JJ Harrison/ CC BY-SA 3.0.