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Changes to the HK List

Changes to the HK List

At its meetings of 17th and 20th August, the Records Committee made the following changes to the HK List.

Plain-tailed Warbler Seicercus soror
On the basis of a bird photographed at Tai Po Kau on 9th October 2004, Plain-tailed Warbler has been added to the List. The difficulties in separation of the closely-related members of the 'spectacled warbler' group of species have prevented, until now, acceptance of this record.

Ashy Woodswallow Artamus fusus
One at Lower Shing Mun on 23 April 2011 was the first HK record.

Japanese Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus xanthodryas
The recent split of the Arctic Warbler complex into three species has been adopted by the IOC. On the basis of a sound recording of a singing bird at Kam Tin this spring, Japanese Leaf Warbler was added to the List. This species appears to be the most numerous spring migrant of the three. Arctic Warbler P. borealis remains on the HK List on the basis of analysis of DNA sampled from a number of birds trapped in autumn. This appears to be the commonest of the group at this time. The third and final member is Kamchatka Leaf Warbler P. examinandus, which has not been recorded but is likely to occur.

In addition, the IOC has made various changes to English and scientific names. The new scientific names, all relatively minor changes, were accepted automatically. New English names were accepted as follows (old names in brackets): Stejneger’s (Common) Stonechat, Cinereous (Great) Tit, Great (Eastern Great) Egret, Black (American) Scoter. The Committee, however, decided to retain the English name Domestic Pigeon, which it feels better reflects the species' habits and status in HK.

Other decisions included acceptance of the two records of White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi as referring to M.d. stejnegeri. Based on known wintering ranges of the three species in this group, the committee felt that the balance of probability was highly in favour of the HK records referring to stejnegeri.

Recent work on the Lesser Whitethroat complex has seen the IOC accept the split of Desert Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia minula from Lesser Whitethroat S. curruca. Review of the first record of Lesser Whitethroat at Long Valley on 9 October 2002 indicated that it could not be assigned to either minula or curruca, and so it is now accepted as Sylvia curruca/minula. The record of 15 October 2006, however, was trapped and its identity confirmed as S. curruca blythi. This now becomes the first record for HK. The third record at Lai Chi Kok park on 11 January 2008 will be reviewed in light of this.

The HK List now stands at 508 species, and the revised list is posted elsewhere on this website.

Geoff Carey
Chairman, Records Committee

Members: Gary Chow, Paul Leader, Richard Lewthwaite, Mike Leven, Yu Yat Tung
Secretary: Geoff Welch

[ Last edited by cgeoff at 22/08/2011 14:11 ]

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[中文意譯]
有關香港鳥類名類的最新更改
就於8月17及20日的會議決定,紀錄委員對鳥類名錄作出了下列更改。

純尾鶲鶯
就於2004年在大埔滘所攝得的記錄,純尾鶲鶯被接納在名錄內。有關如何分辨純尾鶲鶯與其他金眶鶲鶯類最近終於有所眉目,從而令這鳥種得以接納。

灰燕鵙
2011年4月23日於下城門的記錄為此鳥種的第一個記錄。

日本柳鶯
由極北柳鶯類所分出的三個鳥種最近被IOC所接納。根據於春天在錦田所錄得的叫聲的辨識結果,日本柳鶯被接納在香港鳥類名錄中。而這鳥種似乎是三個鳥種中數量佔最多的春季過境鳥。同時,由於得到秋季時份所取得的DNA的驗證,極北柳鶯仍保留在名錄內,亦相信是秋季最常見的一種。至於第三種﹣﹣堪察加柳鶯,則尚未有記錄。

此外IOC亦修改了某些鳥種的英文及學名。〔詳見英名原文〕

就最近有關白喉林鶯的分類工作,IOC接納沙白喉林鶯由白喉林鶯分出。2002年10月9日於塱原的首項記錄兩者皆有可能,所以現接納為Syliva curruca/minula. 而2006年10月15日所捕穫的記錄則確認為S. curruca blythi,並確認為此種的首項記錄。而2008年1月11日於荔枝角公園的第三個記錄則將作檢查。

其他會議決定包括接納過往兩項斑臉番海鴨記錄屬於Melanitta deglandi stejnegeri亞種。這個決定是基於這個亞種的渡冬地最接近香港。

現時香港鳥類共有508種。最近的名錄將稍後分布。

[ Last edited by Record_Com at 23/08/2011 09:02 ]

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