LESSER YELLOWLEGS and ARCTIC WARBLER have been removed from the BBRC list. Both these species now satisfy the relevant criteria for change of status, i.e. they both average more than 10 records per year over the most recent decade and show sufficiently low variation in annual totals. Records of Lesser Yellowlegs and Arctic Warbler from 1 January 2019 will therefore now be assessed by county records committees.
However we now ask for all records of ‘SUBALPINE WARBLER’ and ‘ARCTIC REDPOLL’ to be sent to BBRC – regardless of identification of birds to sub-specific level. Clearly, where possible, records should always continue to be identified and submitted to the appropriate taxonomic level – i.e. Western Subalpine Warbler / Eastern Subalpine Warbler; and Coues’s Arctic Redpoll / Hornemann’s Arctic Redpoll, respectively.
Requesting all records of those left as generic ‘Subalpine Warbler’ or generic ‘Arctic Redpoll’ should prove simpler for everyone than the current situation. All these submissions will be assessed by BBRC and published annually – following further discussion with submitters if necessary concerning sub-specific identification. This change only applies to records of birds from 1 January 2019 onwards (although there may be a review of historic generic ‘Subalpine Warbler’ records in the future).
