BOG Description Species

Description Requirements

Since the Group’s formation in 1987, there has always been a requirement that for records of certain scarcer species, an acceptable description was necessary before the record could be included in the Annual Report. In more recent years this was modified slightly so that an acceptable photograph could replace the full written description.

It has now been decided to make a fundamental change to this procedure to recognise circumstances where the person claiming the record can show they have an acceptable degree of previous experience in respect of the species concerned. Therefore, from 1st January 2016, subject to the exceptions outlined below, a written description and/or photograph will not be required where the claimant of the record has previously provided to BOG, and had accepted, at least two descriptions/photographs of the species in question.
Descriptions, regardless of experience, will continue to be needed where:
  • The species is one for which, until relatively recently, the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union needed a full description
  • In the case of two indicated species, the record is based only on flight views
  • The record is based solely on call or song
The current BOG Description List is set out. It is much in line with the one which has been in operation for several years, and the additions to it largely reflect those species where YNU have recently passed responsibility for assessment of records to local groups. Those species invariably requiring a description are indicated by the letter ‘D’. Many others are not so designated, simply because the scarcity of previous records means that no observer falls into the “Two Accepted Records” category. Similarly, the list of species appearing on the recording form available via the website does not include many of the scarcer ones, and the two lists should be read in conjunction. The YNU and the British Birds Rarities Committee will, of course, continue to need descriptions in the prescribed form of any scarce species falling under their jurisdiction, and any such records should preferably be submitted via the Group Recorder.

In addition, the Group has always reserved the right to call for a description of any species, usually where the bird is seen out of season or in unusual circumstances, and this will continue. Records will be assessed by a panel consisting of Howard Creber, Andy Jowett, Ian Hargreaves and Keith Moir, and we would urge contributors to submit their descriptions to Keith Allen, the Group Recorder, without delay, rather than wait until sending in their total records at the end of the year.

The Unusual Record Form is available to download here and on the Recent Sightings page under the Sightings tab.

Finally, it will, we hope, be appreciated that, particularly in view of the more relaxed arrangements, no records will be considered for inclusion in the Annual Report where the description requirements aren’t met.                    

Records Panel Co-ordinator - Keith Moir 
Group Recorder - keithrallen2000@yahoo.co.uk
Red-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Black-throated Diver 
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe 
Black-necked Grebe
Fulmar
Shearwaters (all) 
Storm Petrel
Leach’s Storm Petrel
Gannet
Shag 
Bittern
Great White Egret  (D)
Spoonbill
Tundra Bean Goose (D)
Bewick’s Swan
Green-winged Teal (D)
Garganey (female/sub adult)
Scaup (female/sub-adult)
Ring-necked Duck (D)
Red-crested Pochard (female/sub-adult)
Velvet Scoter
Smew (female/sub-adult)
Red-breasted Merganser (female/sub-adult)
Marsh Harrier
Goshawk
Hobby
Spotted Crake
Corncrake
Common Crane
Stone Curlew (D)
Avocet
Little Stint
Temminck’s Stint (D)
Purple Sandpiper 
Pectoral Sandpiper (D)
Curlew Sandpiper
Jack Snipe
Wood Sandpiper
Grey Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope (D)
Skuas (all)
Caspian Gull (D)
Mediterranean Gull
Little Gull
Sabine’s Gull (D)
Yellow-legged Gull (sub-adult)

Glaucous Gull
Iceland Gull
Sandwich Tern
Roseate Tern (D)
Arctic Tern
Little Tern
Auks (all)
Turtle Dove
Long-eared Owl (flight only) (D)
Bee-eater (D)
Hoopoe
Wryneck
Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (flight only) (D)
Woodlark
Horned Lark
Richard’s Pipit (D)
Rock Pipit
Water Pipit
White Wagtail 
Yellow Wagtail (all except U.K race)
Nightingale
Bluethroat
Black Redstart
Northern Wheatear (Greenland race O.o. leucorhoa)
Cetti’s Warbler (D)
Icterine Warbler (D)
Barred Warbler
Siberian Chiffchaff (D)
Pallas’s Warbler (D)
Yellow-browed Warbler )D)
Firecrest
Red-breasted Flycatcher (D)
Willow Tit
Marsh Tit
Bearded Tit
Golden Oriole (D)
Red-backed Shrike
Great Grey Shrike
Hooded Crow
Rose-coloured Starling (D)
Serin (D)
Redpoll (all races except Lesser)
Twite
Common Rosefinch (D)
Hawfinch
Lapland Bunting
Corn Bunting
Ortolan Bunting (D)
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