Submit a sighting


Frequently asked questions

What is minimum needed for a submission? I have heard you must have a photo for it to be accepted

Apart from a description of the bird we need information such as observer names, location, date of observation but extra information like optics used and weather conditions, also greatly help. Use the standard BBRC Rarity submission form.

For the description we would like to have details of plumage, size, structure, bare part colour etc. but note it is not necessary to have a photo.

We accept that in the modern world we may only get a photo for the descriptive part, but for difficult species that simply may not be enough. In those cases, details of wing formula may be required, or details of plumage tracts which are not shown in the photo. Put simply – send us as detailed a description as you can BUT do not embellish anything. We do not require perfect English in the description, or artwork from Da Vinci if you supply sketches! But accuracy in telling us what you were able to see is important.

Sound recording has also become a part of the armoury of a modern birder. If you have any recording, even taken with a mobile phone, then please send that to us.

How does the county recorder become involved?

We prefer that you send your submission through the relevant county recorder, copying to us at the same time. If for any reason you want to keep your record from the relevant county committee/recorder you can send to us directly BUT please mark clearly that you do not want the information sent to the county concerned. If we do not receive such a request, we will always share the information with the Recorder.

Will you accept a submission when the observer doesn’t know the species involved?

No, all records must be ascribed to a species or sub-species that is designated a BBRC rarity or is a First for Britain. A list of the current BBRC species is available on this web site under Main Information. In just a few instances we accept submissions to closely related species pairs such as Eastern/Western Bonelli’s Warbler; again see the list on this web site.

Effectively this means that if you don’t know what the species is, we do not act as your identifier. There are now plenty of ways to broadcast your sighting and get (many) opinions as to the bird’s identity!

What happens if I only heard the bird, but it is one where the call or song is diagnostic?

We discussed the criteria for records involving birds that have been identified principally by calls. Explicit criteria were published in 1998 for fly-over records of one species often claimed on call – Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus (which at the time was a BBRC rarity; see Brit. Birds 91: 500) – but these criteria still serve as the basis for more general guidelines: observers must be see the bird sufficiently well to determine that it belongs to the family being claimed (in this case that it’s a pipit), and there must be a full account of three or more calls from an observer with prior experience of the species. Birders are encouraged to obtain sound recordings wherever possible. In the case of singing vagrants where sound recordings are not available, the previous experience of observers will be of particular importance.