Appendix H
Noteworthy Records, 1 January 2004–31 December 2006
This appendix covers especially noteworthy records from the years 2004 through 2006. Most have completed CBRC review but a small number of records await final decisions. We would have prefererd to incorporate all CBRC-reviewed records from this period into the main body of this book, but this was impossible within the constraints of our committee/consensus process. Even the more limited goal of reporting on just the highlights from these years proved challenging. Nevertheless, we believe most readers will appreciate this effort to report on the most outstanding records from 2004 through 2006 and to share some exceptional photos and artwork.
We provide full species accounts for six species newly accepted to the state list—the Common Eider, Parkinson’s Petrel, Ringed Storm-Petrel, Slaty-backed Gull, Ross’s Gull, and Taiga Flycatcher—and also for the Green Violet-ear, which was added to the state list in 2006 after the Committee re-reviewed a record that dates back to 1977.
We update the status of selected other species, considering such factors as rarity in the state (generally species recorded fewer than 25 times), regional rarity (e.g., county firsts, seabirds found inland), unusual seasonality, or an exceptional number of records. For many species we mention only the most noteworthy records, so readers should not assume that this appendix accounts for all CBRC-endorsed records of a given species from 2004 through 2006. Readers should also be aware that many of these records have not been critically reviewed by the book’s age and plumage authority, Peter Pyle.
Finally, we provide updates on the Solander’s Petrel and Yellow Grosbeak, species not admitted to the California Bird List as this book goes to press (see their primary species accounts under “Species of Hypothetical Occurrence or Origin”). We also note that the CBRC recently voted not to accept the identification of the following two species, which had not previously been reported in California: the Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata; 12 April 2004, Torrance, Los Angeles County; 2004-098) and Brown-capped Rosy-Finch (Leucosticte australis; 17 April–14 May 2005, Aspendell, Inyo County; 2005-049).
Accounts of Species New to the California Bird List
COMMON EIDER Somateria mollissima (Linnaeus, 1758)
PARKINSON’S PETREL Procellaria parkinsoni Gray, 1862
RINGED STORM-PETREL Oceanodroma hornbyi (Gray, 1854)
SLATY-BACKED GULL Larus schistisagus Stejneger, 1884
ROSS’S GULL Rhodostethia rosea (MacGillivray, 1824)
GREEN VIOLET-EAR Colibri thalassinus (Swainson, 1827)
TAIGA FLYCATCHER Ficedula albicilla (Pallas, 1811)
Other Noteworthy Records