2011 in birding and ornithology
- See also 2010 in birding and ornithology, other specialist lists of events in 2010 and 2012 in birding and ornithology.
The year 2011 in birding and ornithology.
Worldwide
To be completed
New species
The palkachupa cotinga, rediscovered in Bolivia in 2000 is proposed as a full species. Currently considered a sub-species of the swallow-tailed cotinga. Likely to be classified as critically endangered.[1]
Taxonomic developments
- The Taxonomic Sub-Committee (TSC) of the British Ornithologists Union released their seventh report relating to the British list. The list includes details on the splitting of water rail, whimbrel, and Kentish plover to sub-species level; making Calbot tern a separate species and changing the genus of the European greenfinch from Carduelis to Chloris.[2]
Ornithologists
Deaths
World listing
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (September 2011) |
Africa
- The cargo ship Oliva (
Malta) en route from Brazil to Singapore carrying soya beans and 1500 tonnes of fuel ran aground on Tristan da Cunha on 16 March 2011. Concern for the rockhopper penguin, where approximately 90% of the world's population are thought to live, from oil and rats.[3][4] - A Lapland bunting at Krechba, mid-Sahara, 900 km south of Algiers on 17 October is the first mainland African record.[5]
Asia
China
- A third of the world's population of critically endangered, spoon-billed sandpiper are found at the Rudong mudflats; a previously unknown stop–over. 103 of the estimated population of, less than, 300 was seen on 12 October during their 8000 km migration from Russia to south and south–east Asia.[6]
- The breeding grounds of the vulnerable species, blackthroat are found in the Qinling Mountains, Shaanxi Province, north central China.[7]
Israel
- A firecrest at Mount Bar'on, Golan Heights on 17 December will be a first for Israel if accepted[8]
Russia
- Thirteen spoon-billed sandpipers transported to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) reserve at Slimbridge as part of breeding programme intended to halt the decline of this species.[9]
United Arab Emirates
- A male black redstart at Jebel Dhanna is believed to be the first for the Arabian Peninsula[10]
Vietnam
- The World Pheasant Association (WPA) receive funding from the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund to survey forests in the central Vietnam provinces of Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị for Edwards's pheasant which has not been seen since 2000.[11]
Australasia
New Zealand
- The Rena (
Liberia) a container ship ran aground on the Astroblabe Reef in the Bay of Plenty, North Island, New Zealand on 5 October and was declared New Zealand's worst environmental disaster,[12] with hundreds of dead birds found along the Bay of Plenty coast.[13]
Europe
Azores
Rare birds
- A blue-winged warbler on Corvo at Ribeira da Ponte, a first for The Azores and second for the Western Palearctic.[14]
- A female Amur falcon at Criação Velha, Pico on 30 November will be a first for the Azores if accepted.[15]
Britain
Breeding birds
- Eight pairs of spoonbills fledged 14 young at Holkham NNR, Norfolk, the second year spoonbills fledged here.[16]
- Norway donated sixteen white-tailed eagles as part of the East Scotland sea eagle reintroduction project.[17]
- The first record of a displaying great snipe came from 11–16 May at Cley where one was seen lekking.[17]
- Red-backed shrike bred on Dartmoor for the second consecutive year. This species bred in the UK until the 1990s and last bred on Dartmoor in 1970.[18]
- Seabirds in Scotland continue to struggle with poor breeding performances in many colonies.[19]
Migrant and wintering birds
To be completed
Rare birds
- Britain's first white-winged scoter (American nominate race) on 11 June 2011 at Murcar Golf Course, Aberdeenshire.[17]
- Britain's first slaty–backed gull (awaiting acceptance) on 13 January 2011 at the landfill site next to Rainham Marshes, London.[17]
- Britain's second Pacific swift (awaiting acceptance) on 9 July 2011 at Spurn, Yorkshire.[17]
- Britain's third American purple gallinule found dead on 24 January 2011 on Dartmoor, Devon.[17]
- Britain's third white-throated robin on 6 June 2011 at Hartlepool Headland.[17]
- Britain's fifth rock bunting on 8 May 2011 at Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire. The fourth was in 1967.[17]
- Britain's sixth Audouin's gull on 6 May 2011 at Minsmere, Suffolk.[17]
Other events
- Will Wagstaff believes it has been the best September in the Isles of Scilly since the late 1980s with northern waterthrush, black-and-white warbler, solitary sandpiper, lesser yellowlegs, Baird's sandpiper, blue-winged teal and red-eyed vireo on the islands.[20]
France
Rare birds
- France's first (if accepted) long-toed stint at Salin de Gau near La Turballe in Loire Atlantique on 6 November 2011.[21]
Ireland
Rare birds
- Ireland's first white-winged scoter (race stejnegeri) on 9 March 2011 at Rossbeigh, Co Kerry. May have been present since late 2010 and was probably present during 2009–10.[17]
- Ireland's first pallid harrier on 22 April 2011 at Ballyvergan Marsh, Co Cork. A further record of the same individual or another on 26 April 2011 at Slemish Mountain, Co Antrim.[17]
Italy
Rare birds
- Italy's second (if accepted) pin-tailed snipe near Siracusa, Sicily on 18 December 2011[22]
Lithuania
Rare birds
- Lithuania's third (if accepted) grey phalarope at Kopgalis on 7 December[23]
Mediterranean
Rare birds
- Birdlife Cyprus estimate over one third of a million birds are illegally trapped, using mist nets and lime-sticks in Cyprus during the first two weeks of September.[24] Estimate rises to one million for the period 1 September to 23 October.[25]
Scandinavia
Rare birds
- Iceland's fourth White's thrush at Nesjahverfi, SE Iceland on 26 November died after flying into a window.[26]
- A bufflehead in Dynjandi, Iceland on 27 December is thought to be the same bird as in February to April 2009[27]
- Sweden's first dusky thrush at Uppland on 12 November.[28]
Spain
Rare birds
- Spains first sandhill crane (if accepted) on 4 November 2011 between Palazuelo and Torviscal in Extremadura.[29]
North America
To be completed
References
- ^ "New Bird Species for Bolivia" (PDF). American Bird Conservancy. p. 3. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
- ^ Sangster, G; Collinson, J M; Crochet, P; Knox, A G; Parkin, D T; Svensson, L; Votier, S (2011). "Taxonimic recommendations for British birds: seventh report". International Journal of Avian Science. 153: 883–92.[1]
- ^ Hall, Gemma (July 2011). "Spill Survivors". BBC Wildlife.
- ^ "MS Oliva". tristandc.com. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
- ^ "Bird News Extra". Retrieved 18 October 2011.
- ^ RSPB. "A third of the global population of Spoon-billed Sandpiper found at threatened site". Birdguides. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
- ^ Qian and Yi. "Blackthroat breeding grounds found". BirdGuides. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- ^ "Bird News Extra 17 December 2011". BirdGuides. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
- ^ "From Russia with love". BirdGuides. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
- ^ "Bird Guides 27 December". BirdGuides. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ Grainger, Matthew. "One of our pheasant's is missing". Birdguides. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ "Rena spill: Tomorrow much worse". The New Zealand Herald. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ "BirdLife Tragic impact on wildlife from New Zealand oil spill". Retrieved 15 October 2011.
- ^ Birdguides. "4 October 2011". Retrieved 4 October 2011.
- ^ "Amur Falcon Falco amurensis". BirdGuides. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
- ^ "Breeding spoonbills return to Holkham". Natural England. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Balmer, D. and Vickery, J. "Birds." In Branson, A. (2011) Wildlife Reports. British Wildlife 22: 274–6, 350–2 and 422-4.
- ^ "RSPB Bumper breeding season for butcher bird". Birdguides. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
- ^ "Scotland's seabird cities continue to struggle". RSPB. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
- ^ "Birdwatching boon". The Cornishman. 29 September 2011.
- ^ "Daily reports". BirdGuides. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
- ^ "Daily reports". BirdGuides. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ^ "Grey Phalarope". BirdGuides. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
- ^ Birdguides. "RSPB Holiday island a deathtrap for birds". Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ^ RSPB. "Bird death toll on holiday island reaches one million". Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ^ "Bird news extra 26 November 2011". BirdGuides. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
- ^ "BirdGuides 27 December 2011". BirdGuides. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ "Dusky Thrush". BirdGuides. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
- ^ "Birding News Update". BirdGuides. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
External links
- BirdLife International [2]
- Ibis: The International Journal of Avian Science [3]
- Taxonomic recommendations for British birds [4]
- RSPB [5]
- American Bird Conservancy [6]
- Saving the spoon-billed sandpiper, Chukotka expedition 2011 [7]