Rarities

Birdlife Botswana has a Records Sub-committee. The primary function of the this sub-committee is to facilitate the submission and publication of records of rare and uncommon bird species in Botswana. The Records Sub-committee presently consists of seven members: Chris A.Brewster (Recorder), Andrew Hester, Richard D. Randall and Stephanie J.Tyler. Keddy Moleofi is the committee's secretary.

There are two rarities lists, namely the Category A list and the Category B list. The Category A rarities list comprises species that have been recorded ten or less times in recent years. All records of species on the Category A rarities list should be supported by a substantiating description. Records of Category A rarities are adjudicated by the Records Subcommittee before they can be accepted and published. Records are accepted either on the basis of a majority vote or on favourable reports from referees.

If more than one member of the subcommittee is against acceptance of a record then the record is either recirculated or referred. All records of species new to Botswana are referred. Category A records are circulated amongst subcommittee members once or twice a year and details of accepted records are published in the Babbler.
The Category B list comprises species which, though uncommon, have more than ten records. The majority of species on the list occur relatively sparsely over much of the country, often in numbers that vary from year to year.

A number of species on the list are vulnerable or endangered either worldwide or in southern Africa. A few species on the list are either localized residents for which the full extent of their ranges is not known, or are ones that undertake movements that are not clear. All records of Category B rarities are published in the Babbler.

Records of Category A rarities should include a substantiating description preferably on the standard form available from the secretary of the Records Subcommittee. Category B records do not need a substantiating description but should include date, number of birds and precise location.

The current Category A and B rarities lists were published in Babbler 53 with the previous in Babbler 40.

If you wish to submit records for consideration by the sub-committee, please download and fill in the following form  from New or rare birds form and and submit to the email or postal address given or click here to report digitaly.

Contact details also available at Birdlife Botswana or E-mail: blb@birdlifebotswana.org.bw