Species requiring a description

To enable us to present our reports with complete accuracy, contributors are reminded that records of certain species must be supported by descriptions taken in the field or as soon as possible after the sighting – preferably before reference to textbooks.

Caspian Gull, Rufforth © Tim Jones, Feb 2015
Caspian Gull, Rufforth © Tim Jones, Feb 2015

National and county rarities, considered by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union (YNU) Reports Committee respectively, must be described. Forms can be obtained from any YNU vice-county recorder or the YNU website. It would help both the YOC Recorder and the YNU if descriptions were submitted as soon as possible after the sighting.

Click on the buttons to get to the BBRC and/or YNU websites for information on the latest lists:

BBRC SpeciesYNU Species

YOC Description Species

Additionally, contributors are asked to provide details to the YOC Recorder () for species/subspecies listed here:

Brent Goose – all races
Tundra Bean Goose
(Greenland) White-fronted Goose
Bewick’s Swan
Garganey (away from LDV)
Green-winged Teal
Red-crested Pochard
Scaup
Eider
Long-tailed Duck
Velvet Scoter
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Diver
Black-throated Diver
Great Northern Diver
Storm-petrel
Leach’s Petrel
Fulmar
Manx Shearwater
Red-necked Grebe
Slavonian Grebe
Black-necked Grebe
White Stork
Spoonbill
Bittern
Great Egret
Gannet
Shag
Osprey
Goshawk+
Hen Harrier
Spotted Crake
Corncrake
Crane
Stone Curlew
Dotterel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Knot
Curlew Sandpiper
Temminck’s Stint
Sanderling
Purple Sandpiper
Little Stint
Pectoral Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Grey Phalarope
Spotted Redshank
Kittiwake
Sabine’s Gull
Little Gull
Mediterranean Gull
Caspian Gull
Yellow-legged Gull
Little Tern
Black Tern
Sandwich Tern
Roseate Tern
Arctic Tern
Pomarine Skua
Arctic Skua
Great Skua
Long-tailed Skua
Little Auk
Razorbill
Guillemot
Puffin
Turtle Dove
Long-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Nightjar
Bee-eater
Hoopoe
Wryneck
Lesser Spotted
Woodpecker
Ring-necked Parakeet
Great Grey Shrike
Red-backed Shrike
Golden Oriole
Hooded Crow
Raven
Willow Tit
Bearded Tit
Woodlark (away from the main sites)
Shore Lark
Cetti’s Warbler
Wood Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler
Barred Warbler
Firecrest
Ring Ouzel
Nightingale
Pied Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Black Redstart
Dipper
Yellow Wagtail
(‘Blue-headed’ race and ‘Channel’ hybrid)
Richard’s Pipit
Water Pipit +
Rock Pipit +
Hawfinch
Twite
Common (“Mealy”) Redpoll
Lapland Bunting
Snow Bunting
For species marked with cross (+), acceptance is only likely with a good photograph or video, which will enable elimination of similar species.

Furthermore, the Recorder may ask contributors to provide some supporting evidence for some species not listed in the files, taking into account such factors as observer experience, out-of-season occurrences and unusual or difficult plumages, etc. This will be at the Recorder’s discretion and the list of species requiring descriptions is under constant review. Note that if photographs showing key identification features are submitted of these species a field description may not be required (as long as details such as location, date, observer, etc. accompany the photographs).