Moustached Warbler removed from the British List

The seventh edition of The British List: a Checklist of Birds of Britain is published this month in the BOU's journal Ibis (148: 526–563) and replaces the sixth edition A Checklist of Birds of Britain and Ireland (Knox (Ed.) 1992).

The British List includes changes made to the British List up to and including the BOU Record Committee's (BOURC) 33rd Report (Ibis 148: 594) and the BOURC's Taxonomic Sub-committee's 3rd report (Ibis 147: 821–826).

The 33rd BOURC report details the following changes which are included in the new edition of The British List:

Fea's Petrel Pterodroma feae

An individual observed at sea c. 12 miles south of St. Mary's, Scilly on 8 July 2001 becomes the first British record.

Fea's Petrel: Scilly pelagic (photo: Ashley Fisher).

Rufous-tailed Robin Luscinia sibilans

Added to Category A on the basis of the first-winter individual seen on Fair Isle, Shetland on 23 October 2004

Rufous-tailed Robin: Fair Isle (photo: Deryk Shaw/FIBO).

Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon

Following a comprehensive review of all records, this species is removed from the British List. A paper detailing the review is currently in preparation for publication in British Birds.

Moustached Warbler: Morocco (videograb: Max Whitby, BirdGuides).

Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus

Added to Category A on the basis of one seen at Kilrenny, Fife from 29 October to 14 November 2004.

Masked Shrike: Kilrenny, Fife (photo: Kit Day).

Also considered:

Yellow Bittern Ixobrychus sinensis

A review of the record from Radipole Lake, Dorset, 23 November 1962 concluded that there were circumstances concerning the plumage and condition of the specimen that led BOURC to conclude that the bird was unlikely to have been a natural vagrant and the species is placed in Category E.

The British List now stands at 572 species (Category A = 552; Category B = 10; Category C = 10).