At a meeting on 11 May 2026, the Record Committee made the following decisions:
Addition to Cat I and II
- Claudia’s Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus claudiae – one individual was trapped at Tai Po Kau on 14 January 2026. Feathers were sampled for DNA analysis, and the identification was based primarily on the DNA results.
- Asian Desert Warbler Curruca nana – one individual was present at Tap Mun on 15–16 November 2025. Identification was based on submitted photographs. The date and location support a wild origin for the bird.
- Savannah Sparrow Passerculus sandwichensis – a single individual was photographed at Long Valley on 6 November 2025. Identification based on the submitted photographs indicated that the bird resembled the migratory subspecies anthinus, which has been recorded in Japan, at sites along the China coast, and in Taiwan. The date and location support a wild origin for this bird.
- Pale Blue Flycatcher Cyornis unicolour – a singing individual was found on the Twisk Nature Trail on 11 May 2025 (remaining until June), and again on 14 March 2026 (and still present at the time of writing). The bird was in good plumage condition and behaved like a wild individual, and the species’ distribution extends to eastern Guangxi and northern Guangdong. The RC therefore decided to move this species from Cat III to Cat I. The previous record was at Tai Po Kau on 6 April 1991, which will be reviewed for the status.
Addition to Cat III
- Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus – recorded at Kowloon Walled City Park on 28 January 2025. Its occurrence well outside the natural range of the species, the unknown migratory pattern, and the urban locality all favour an assessment of pre-captive origin.
- Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana – recorded at Lantau Peak on 31 December 2025. Photographs showed feather loss. This record was far outside the species’ normal range, and the species is not known to show vagrancy or migration patterns close to southern China. These factors support its acceptance in Category III.
Notable record
A large unstreaked grasshopper warbler was trapped at Mai Po Nature Reserve on 11 October 2025. Identification of the bird was inconclusive, as it could refer to either Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler
Helopsaltes fasciolatus or Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler
H. amnicola. Biometrics and plumage characteristics are insufficiently distinctive to separate these two species with certainty. Either identification would constitute the first Hong Kong record.
The Hong Kong List now stands at 594 species in Cat I and II. An updated HK List will be published later.
URF assessment update
A total of 45 URFs were assessed by RC members in this round. Several rare records have been accepted including Brahminy Kite, Hen Harrier, Chinese Leaf Warbler, Slender-billed Gull, Water Pipits, Ashy Woodswallows, Ruddy Kingfisher, Chinese Bush Warbler and Slaty-backed Flycatcher, etc. These records will be included in the coming Hong Kong Bird Reports.
Hong Kong Bird Report
HKBR 2022 is under preparation.
AviList update
The 2026 AviList update is awaited, and further action will depend on its contents.
IUCN Red List update
No major updates.
Date of next meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for July or October 2026.
Yu Yat-tung
Chairman, Record Committee
