Long-tailed Skua, off Cleggan, Co. Galway. 31 August 2008
(Tom Cuffe, http://www.iol.ie/~birdsgalway/)
Irish Rare Birds Committee
The Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) is responsible for maintaining a list of the birds recorded in the Republic of Ireland and in addition the inshore waters up to 30km from the nearest land or where relevant, the median point between Ireland and Great Britain. So-called ’at sea’ records, i.e. records of birds outside this 30 km limit but still within the Exclusive Economic Zone which extends to approximately 370 km (200 nautical miles) offshore or where relevant, the median point between Ireland and Great Britain are assessed and published by the IRBC in the Irish Rare Bird Report (IRBR), but are excluded from the main list.
The primary function of the IRBC is the assessment of records of certain rare and scarce species. From 2004 the results are published annually in the IRBR and previously in the Irish Bird Report (IBR) from 1953 to 2003. The most recent is the interim report for 2010, which along with others is available for download through this website as PDFs. In addition the IRBR is included in Irish Birds, which is published by BirdWatch Ireland. Irish Birds is available from Wings, the BirdWatch Ireland online shop.
Beginning with the 2005 IRBR, the IRBC changed its method of record submission and assessment. Generally speaking many regularly occurring and apparently seldom misidentified rarities no longer require formal documentation (although there may be occasional exceptions). The full list of species affected are included in Appendix 2. Those species which continue to require formal documentation are listed in Appendix 1. For a full account of the background and reasons behind these changes click here.
The Committee, whose members work in an honorary capacity, operates under the auspices of BirdWatch Ireland. The Committee's current membership is listed here. For a short background to its origins as well as the all time list of its members click here.
The Northern Ireland Birdwatchers' Association Rarities Committee (NIBARC) performs a similar role in Northern Ireland and the two committees work together to maintain a comprehensive record of birds found on the island of Ireland.
February Banner
This month's banner image was taken by Richard T. Mills and shows a view of Cammoge Marsh, which is just outside Kinsale, Co. Cork on the north bank of the Bandon River. The wetland is more usually known to birders as Kinsale Marsh and consists mainly of a coastal lagoon along with areas of swamp, grass, scrub, hedgerows and woodland. Away from the river, farmland and residential estates surround it. The marsh is one of the main high tide roosts for waders etc along the entire river estuary. Excellent views of the marsh and the river can be had from the Tissasan Road, which runs between them and overlooks both. To date the area has recorded such rarities as American Black Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Spoonbill, American Golden Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Least Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson's Phalarope and Franklin's Gull while nearby Kinsale Harbour has hosted Ivory Gull.
Appendix Lists
2005 Revised Rarity List with subsequent updates (Appendix 1), click here.
2005 Supplementary Accreditation Species with subsequent updates (Appendix 2), click here.
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BirdWatch Ireland
BirdWatch Ireland is the largest independent conservation organisation in Ireland dedicated to protecting Ireland’s birds and biodiversity.
