Recent announcements
Changes to the British List (13 Feb 2024) View
Stejneger’s Scoter Melanitta stejnegeri added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (12 Feb 2024) View
New first record of Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla; record of Trindade Petrel Pterodroma arminjoniana not proven; correction to the British List species total
Changes to the British List (15 Jan 2024) View
New first record of Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni
Changes to the British List (3 October 2023) View
Lesser Short-toed Lark Alaudala rufescens is removed from Category A; the species group A. cheleensis/rufescens/heinei is published in Appendix 4
Changes to the British List (19 September 2023) View
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus added to Category A; Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis added to Category A
Decision relating to the British List (15 Sept 2023) View
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala remains in Category D.
BOURC membership changes (12 July 2023) View
Ross Ahmed joins the Committee, following Alex Lees stepping into the Chair role in April
Changes to the British List (16 June 2023) View
Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus added to Category A.
BOURC membership changes (29 August 2022) View
Mark Thomas joins the Committee
Changes to the British List (30 June 2022) View
Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus added to Category A; Subspecies admitted to the List: East Siberian (White) Wagtail Motacilla alba ocularis; New first record of Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Changes to the British List (17 June 2022) View
Zino’s Petrel Pterodroma madeira added to Category A.
Recent publications relating to the British List (15 June 2022) View
- British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC): 54th Report (July 2022)
- Assessing vagrants from translocated populations and defining self-sustaining populations
- The birds of ancient Britain: first recommendations for Category F of the British List
- The British List: A Checklist of Birds of Britain (10th edition)
Changes to the British List (18 January 2022) View
New first record of North American Horned Lark (alpestris group) Eremophila alpestris (alpestris/praticola/hoyti); Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus placed in Category D.
Changes to the British List (29 November 2021) View
Ross’s Goose Anser Rossii added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (13 August 2021) View
South Polar Skua Stercorarius maccormicki added to Category A.
BOURC membership changes (28 July 2021) View
Changes to the British List (30 June 2021) View
Species added to Category A: White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris and Ruby-crowned Kinglet Regulus calendula: subspecies admitted – Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis tschutschensis: new first record of Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola.
Changes to the British List (8 June 2021) View
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster added to Category A.
Ruddy Shelduck – request for records (22 January 2021) View
Changes to the British List (16 December 2020) View
BOURC 52nd Report | includes subspecies admitted to the List: ‘Mandt’s’ Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle mandtii; new first records of Black‐throated Thrush Turdus atrogularis, Rufous‐tailed Scrub Robin Cercotrichas galactotes, Common Rosefinch Carpodacus erythrinus, Little Bunting Emberiza pusilla, Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica; and taxonomic update and sequence changes to the List (incorporating IOC World Bird List v.10.2)
Bearded Vultures in the UK and northwest Europe (28 October 2020) View
Changes to the British List (6 March 2020) View
Subspecies admitted to the List: ‘Mandt’s’ Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle mandtii.
Changes to the British List (12 February 2020) View
BOURC 51st Report | includes subspecies admitted to the List: ‘Taiga’ Merlin Falco columbarius columbarius and ‘North American’ Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris (alpestris/praticola/hoyti); new first record of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis; and taxonomic update and sequence changes to the List (incorporating IOC World Bird List v.10.1)
Changes to the British List (13 January 2020) View
Subspecies admitted to the List: ‘Taiga’ Merlin Falco columbarius columbarius and ‘North American’ Horned Lark Eremophila alpestris (alpestris/praticola/hoyti); new first record of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis.
BOURC 50th Report (December 2019) View
Additions/changes to the British List inc. ‘Richardson’s’ Canada Goose, Egyptian Goose, Falcated Duck, Dalmatian Pelican, Little Auk, White-rumped Swift, Lesser Whitethroat, Eastern Orphean Warbler, White-crowned Sparrows, plus other files currently in circulation.
IMPORTANT NOTE: due to a production issue this report does not include the latest IOC updates. We are currently finalising the BOURC 51st Report which will include these updates and is due to be published as soon as possible in the new year.
Changes to the British List (1 August 2019) View
White-rumped SwiftApus caffer added to Category A.
BOURC membership changes (15 May 2019) View
James Gilroy takes over as Chair of BOURC and Chris Batty joins the Committee.
Changes to the British List (13 March 2019) View
Cackling Goose Branta hutchinsii subspecies hutchinsii (Richardson’s Cackling Goose) added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (1 February 2019) View
Falcated Duck Mareca falcata added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (21 December 2018) View
Correction: change in taxonomy of the Family Locustellidae results in Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler scientific name change to Helopsaltes certhiola.
Indigo Bunting Passerina cyanea added to Category E.
Changes to the British List (18 December 2018) View
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca subspecies halimodendri added to Category A.
Azorean Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis atlantis – new first record.
Changes to the British List (28 September 2018) View
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (24 September 2018) View
Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (17 September 2018) View
Little Auk Alle alle subspecies polaris added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (10 August 2018) View
White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys subspecies gambelii and leucophrys added to Category A.
Changes to the British List (6 August 2018) View
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca added to Category C5.
BOURC decisions (5 February 2018) View
Category E decisions: Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus, Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus, Demoiselle Crane Grus virgo and Common Myna Acridotheres tristis.
Changes to the British List (22 January 2018) View
Red-winged Blackbird admitted to Category A. Subspecies White (Masked) Wagtail Motacilla alba personata accepted.
Changes to the British List (8 January 2018) View
Elegant Tern admitted to Category A. New first records of Royal Tern and Thayer’s Gull.
Leica sponsors the British List (6 December 2017) View
Changes to the British List (24 August 2017) View
Purple Swamphen admitted to Category A.
Changes to the British List (16 August 2017) View
Red-footed Booby admitted to Category A.
Changes to the British List (14 August 2017) View
Eastern Kingbird admitted to Category A.
Alex Lees joins BOURC (11 August 2017) View
Announcing a new member of the BOU Records Committee (BOURC).
Changes to the British List (10 August 2017) View
Pale-legged Leaf Warbler admitted to Category A.
Changes to the British List (May 2017) View
Siberian Accentor admitted to Category A.
Changes to the British List (Mar 2017) View
Wood Duck (moved from Category E* to Category D) and Desert Finch (remains in Category E).
Changes to the British List (Jan 2017) View
Subspecies ‘Caspian’ Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus fuscus and ‘Iberian’ Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava iberiae admitted to the List.
BOU to adopt the IOC World Bird List (Jan 2017) View
Changes to the British List (Dec 2016) View
Acadian Flycatcher and Chestnut Bunting admitted to Category A; subspecies ‘Eastern’ Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans cantillans admitted to the List.
BOURC 46th report published in IBIS (Dec 2016) View
Andrew Harrop appointed Chairman of BOURC (Nov 2016) View
Adoption of a global taxonomy (Aug 2016) View
Changes to the British List (Chinese Pond Heron, Slaty-backed Gull and Mugimaki Flycatcher) (July 2016) View
Dawn Balmer and Andy Stoddart join BOURC (May 2016) View
Subspecies Azorean Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahelis atlantis admitted to the British List (May 2016) View
Lesser Canada Goose admitted to the British List (March 2016) View
Yelkouan Shearwater admitted as the 600th species on the British List (February 2016) View
BOURC 45th Report (January 2016) View
Changes to the British List inc. adoption of the taxonomic recommendations in the BOURC TSC’s 10th report, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, Iceland Gull, Isabelline Shrike, Marbled Duck, plus other files currently in circulation.
Changes to the British List (Marbled Duck, Thayer’s Gull, Daurian Shrike) (September 2015) View
BOURC 44th Report (April 2015) View
Changes to the British List inc. Milton’s Subalpine Warbler and erratum to the 43rd report.
BOURC 43rd Report (January 2015) View
Changes to the British List inc. adoption of the taxonomic recommendations in the BOURC TSC’s 10th report, Alder Flycatcher, Grasshopper Warbler, Black Redstart, Siberian Stonechat, Caspian Gill, Barn Owl, Pale-legged Leaf Warbler, Black-headed Bunting plus other files currently in circulation.
Slender-billed Curlew removed from the British List (December 2013) View
Taxonomic changes to Western Palearctic birds (November 2014) View
BOURC 42nd Report (January 2014) View
Changes to the British List inc. adoption of the taxonomic recommendations in the BOURC TSC’s 9th report, White-winged Scoter, Slender-billed Curlew, Red-rumped Swallow, Long-tailed Tit, Subalpine Warbler, European Stonechat, plus other files currently in circulation.
White-winged Scoter and ‘Asian’ Red-rumped Swallow admitted to the British List (September 2013) View
BOURC 41st Report (January 2013) View
Changes to the British List inc. adoption of the taxonomic recommendations in the BOURC TSC’s 8th report, Madeiran Storm Petrel, Yellow Wagtail,Mealy Redpoll, Western Capercaillie, Siberian Stonechat, transatlantic vagrants plus other files currently in circulation.
8th Taxonomic Report (September 2012) View
Taxonomic recommendation for the British List.
BOURC 40th Report (October 2011) View
Changes to the British List inc. adoption of the taxonomic recommendations in the BOURC TSC’s 7th report, Madeiran Storm Petrel, Ring Ouzel and Common Redstart plus other files currently in circulation.
BOURC 39th Report (October 2010) View
Changes to the British List inc. Greater Canada Goose, Amur Falcon, Tufted Puffin, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Pied Flycatcher (sibirica), Citril Finch, Lesser Sand Plover, White-throated Sparrow plus files under consideration, Category D review and other items recently considered.