writing rarity descriptions
Before submitting a record, the following information might be of help.
One of the recurring reasons for records not being accepted is due to the species being poorly described. Details such as the situation surrounding finding a rarity or the observer’s familiarity with a species are, of course, important. However, the committee wishes to stress the importance of the actual description. Describing a bird call as 'unmistakable' or a plumage as 'characteristic' and then failing to say why it was unmistakable or characteristic gives the committee nothing to assess and may result in the record being classified as “not proven”.
It is fair to say that writing descriptions often feels like a chore and this feeling is indeed shared by some committee members! Records of rare and exciting species are important though and it is frustrating when some of records fail to be added to the history books simply because they are poorly described.
The list of species considered is constantly evolving as the spatial and temporal occurrence of bird species changes. Occasionally the addition of a once abundant species is met with surprise as was the case when Willow Tit was first added to the list of species requiring a description. A significant number of descriptions showed that many claims of this species actually referred to Marsh Tits. A truer picture of Willow Tit distribution quickly became clear and revealed just how much the species had declined within the county.
In other instances the committee will add a species to the description list in order to establish a clearer idea of its occurrence. For example, regular reports of juvenile Long-tailed Skua from the north Norfolk coast have, in the past, been met with criticism. Following records of the species being assessed, the number of accepted records is starting to confirm that this species is indeed a scare but regular passage seabird, particularly on the north coast during early autumn.
Finally, take a look at the Submission guidelines page, along with the Example description pages for some more useful pointers.
One of the recurring reasons for records not being accepted is due to the species being poorly described. Details such as the situation surrounding finding a rarity or the observer’s familiarity with a species are, of course, important. However, the committee wishes to stress the importance of the actual description. Describing a bird call as 'unmistakable' or a plumage as 'characteristic' and then failing to say why it was unmistakable or characteristic gives the committee nothing to assess and may result in the record being classified as “not proven”.
It is fair to say that writing descriptions often feels like a chore and this feeling is indeed shared by some committee members! Records of rare and exciting species are important though and it is frustrating when some of records fail to be added to the history books simply because they are poorly described.
The list of species considered is constantly evolving as the spatial and temporal occurrence of bird species changes. Occasionally the addition of a once abundant species is met with surprise as was the case when Willow Tit was first added to the list of species requiring a description. A significant number of descriptions showed that many claims of this species actually referred to Marsh Tits. A truer picture of Willow Tit distribution quickly became clear and revealed just how much the species had declined within the county.
In other instances the committee will add a species to the description list in order to establish a clearer idea of its occurrence. For example, regular reports of juvenile Long-tailed Skua from the north Norfolk coast have, in the past, been met with criticism. Following records of the species being assessed, the number of accepted records is starting to confirm that this species is indeed a scare but regular passage seabird, particularly on the north coast during early autumn.
Finally, take a look at the Submission guidelines page, along with the Example description pages for some more useful pointers.
