Rare birds in Extremadura 2nd Rarities Report from the Extremaduran Rarities Committee (CREX) 2018 ©Hugo Sánchez 2018 SECOND RARITIES REPORT FROM THE EXTREMADURAN RARITIES COMMITTEE (CREX) 2018___ Rare Birds in Extremadura Second Rarities Report from the Extremaduran Rarities Committee (CREX) 2018 Kelsey, M., Crystal, F., Sánchez, H*., Mayordomo, S., Gálvez, M., Granados, R & Bautista, J.L. Extremaduran Rarities Committee (CREX) members *[email protected] SUMMARY This document is the second rarities report of the Extremaduran Rarities Committee (CREX), created in 2016 and made up of seven members. A total of 83 records have been assessed, 94% of them from 2018 and the rest comprising older records dating back to 1993. 92% of the records received were accepted by the committee. The most notable records in this report are of White-tailed Eagle Haliaetus albicilla, Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis and Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus, which represent the first records of each species in Extremadura. The first record of European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus to be assessed by the committee (and the second for Extremadura) is also included, as well as Brent Goose Branta bernicla (fifth for Extremadura), Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus and Richard’s Pipit Anthus richardi (both seconds for Extremadura) and the second Tundra Bean Goose Anser serrirostris (third for Extremadura) after its separation from Taiga Bean Goose Anser fabalis and following on from previous records detailed in the last report. Other notable records are for White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala (fifth for Extremadura) and Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus (third for Extremadura) and new records of Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius that appear to confirm its presence as a rare but regular winterer here. There were two new spring records of Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix and a spate of Fieldfare Turdus pilaris records that continued the small influx of the species noted in autumn 2017. INTRODUCTION This is the second rarities report compiled by the Extremaduran Rarities Committee (CREX). CREX, created at the start of 2016, is in charge of collecting, compiling and assessing records of wild bird species considered rare in Extremadura, while those considered national rarities are sent to the SEO (National) Rarities Committee for adjudication. SECOND RARITIES REPORT FROM THE EXTREMADURAN RARITIES COMMITTEE (CREX) 2018___ Report Contents Due to CREX’s short existence and the increase in ornithological activity in Extremadura over the last twenty years, records from 1993 to the present day are included in this report. However 94% of records detailed in this report are from 2018. There are still many records that have not so far been sent in by observers. The species in this report are listed taxonomically, and each observation contains the following order of details: 1) year; 2) province; 3) site; 4) municipality; 5) number of individuals; 6) age and sex in accepted terms for the species and as far as is known; 7) date of observation; 8) observer(s); 9) photographer, where an image documenting the record has been submitted to CREX. CREX at work CREX has compiled a considerable number of records, from older records to more recent ones. However, the workload is such that, in this report, only records sent in to CREX by observers or records that have been investigated by CREX members on online forums like Foroavex or eBird are included. We hope to maintain this effort in future reports so we can include the highest possible number of rarities records. This report includes a total of 83 assessed records, 73 (88%) of them are regional rarities and 10 (12%) refer to national rarities. These last refer to eight taxa: Anser fabalis/serrirostris, Anas discors, Vanellus gregarius, Tringa flavipes, Haliaeetus albicilla, Falco biarmicus, Crex crex, and Phylloscopus collybita tristis. These records have been forwarded to the National Rarities Committee. However, CREX makes a prior evaluation of these records as tmost of them are sufficiently well-documented to make a more rapid assessment before the National Committee gives its verdict. Of the 83 records received, a total of 74 (89.1%) were accepted by the committee, while the rest were either pending evaluation or rejected. As in other rarities committees of this type, CREX looks at all available details of each record and assesses whether the record is irrefutable or doubtful. Records are divided into the following four categories: A) Accepted records: those records where there is no doubt as to the identification of the species based on all available information. B) Records referring to species of uncertain origin C) Pending records: those records requiring further information in order to be properly considered. D) Rejected records: those records where a verdict was impossible to reach based on the information submitted, or where the record was deemed to refer to another species. Next to the scientific name of each accepted species there are some figures in brackets (x/x). The first number refers to the number of records submitted in Extremadura to date, and the second refers to the number of individuals involved. Where relevant, records that refer to the first- fifth records for Extremadura are thus detailed. Taxa considered rarities are included in the annexed table (1). SECOND RARITIES REPORT FROM THE EXTREMADURAN RARITIES COMMITTEE (CREX) 2018___ This report is the work of CREX, comprised of the following members: Adjudicating members: Hugo Sánchez (Secretary) Fergus Crystal Marc Gálvez Martin Kelsey Sergio Mayordomo Non-adjudicating members: José Luis Bautista Raúl Granados How to collaborate with CREX A website (http://crextremadura.info/enviar-cita/) has been created to help maximise the number of records submitted (both old and present day). This website is also a constantly updated, bilingual (Spanish and English) information channel where birders based in Extremadura and visiting birders can consult sightings of the latest rarities that have been seen in the region. Record can also be registered by email [email protected] or on the CREX Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/crextremadura.info/. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS CREX would like to thanks all birders who have kindly submitted their records and/ or photos for this report. Thanks also to the sponsors of the CREX website for helping create and finance the project. SECOND RARITIES REPORT FROM THE EXTREMADURAN RARITIES COMMITTEE (CREX) 2018___ (1) LIST OF SPECIES CONSIDERED RARITIES IN EXTREMADURA Note: National or Peninsular rarities indicated in red Common name Scientific name Subspecies Comments Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala Brent Goose Branta bernicla Pale-bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis Canada Goose Branta canadensis Bar-.headed Goose Anser indicus Bean Goose Anser fabalis / serrirostris Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons Greenland White-fronted Anser albifrons flavirostris Goose Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca Common Scoter Melanitta nigra Smew Mergellus albellus Goosander Mergus merganser Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris Ring-necked Duck Aythya collaris Greater Scaup Aythya marila Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis Blue-winged Teal Spatula discors Green-winged Teal Anas crecca carolinensis Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps Little Swift Apus affinis Corn Crake Crex crex Spotted Crake Porzana porzana Little Crake Zapornia parva Baillon’s Crake Zapornia pusilla Allen’s Gallinule Porphyrio alleni Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata SECOND RARITIES REPORT FROM THE EXTREMADURAN RARITIES COMMITTEE (CREX) 2018___ Common name Scientific name Subspecies Comments Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica Great Northern Diver Gavia immer Cory’s Shearwater Calonectris borealis European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus Leach’s Storm-petrel Hydrobates leucorhoa Madeira Storm-petrel Hydrobates castro Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer Yellow-billed Stork Mycteria ibis African Spoonbill Platalea alba Northern Bald-headed Ibis Geronticus eremita Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis Hybrid Western Reef- x Little Egretta gularis x garzetta Egret Pink-billed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo carbo Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus Except La Serena American Golden Plover Pluvialis dominica Killdeer Charadrius vociferus Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres Red Knot Calidris canutus White-rumped Sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis Buff-breasted Sandpiper Calidris subruficollis Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos Long-billed Dowitcher Limnodromus scolopaceus Great Snipe Gallinago media Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Red Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius Lesser Yellowlegs Tringa flavipes Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor SECOND RARITIES REPORT FROM THE EXTREMADURAN RARITIES COMMITTEE (CREX) 2018___ Common name Scientific name Subspecies Comments Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus Sabine’s Gull Xema sabini Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Slender-billed Gull Larus genei Franklin’s Gull Larus pipixcan Laughing Gull Larus atricilla Ring-billed Gull