Memorandum to:         The Director of Birds Australia

 

From:                           Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

 

Date:                            12th January 2004

 

 

Voting Members:         Jamie Matthew              Mike Carter

Rohan Clarke                 Danny Rogers

                                    Tony Palliser                 Glenn Holmes

                                    Andrew Silcocks            John Hatch

                       

Cc.                               Keith Brandwood, Alan Morris                

 

 

Submission No. 491: South Island Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi Stockton, Near Newcastle, NSW, 3rd February 2004. Submitted by: Phil Hansbro & Richard Baxter.

 

 

Verdict: Accepted

 

 

This submission relates to the sighting of a South Island Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi at Stockton Beach Sandspit near Newcastle, NSW on the 3rd February 2004. As with other cases relating to this species the bird was in association with ‘Australian’ Pied Oystercatchers H. longirostris.

 

The submission provides a brief account of the sighting and targets the key identification characters, comparing the bird with the very similar ‘Australian’ Pied Oystercatcher throughout. Photographs were not taken, however the experience of the observers has provided sufficient corroboration for the committee to be confident of the identification.

 

Seven of the eight members voted in favour of acceptance, with the one dissenting member voting against acceptance because the description was so vague. Many of the features could arguably apply to Australian Pied Oystercatcher, and some important characters were omitted such as the length of the tibia and additionally there are no field notes or photographs yet with a 30-minute view there should have been ample opportunity for at least a few notes.

 

This is the 6th confirmed record for Australia.

 

 

References and Bibliography  

 

·       Straw, P. (1999), ‘South Island Pied Oystercatcher: First Australian Record?’, Tattler 18: 7.

·       Carter, M. (1998), ‘SIPO or OZPO? South Island Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus finschi not Pied Oystercatcher H. longirostris on Norfolk Island’, Australian Birding 4: (4): 16-19.

·       Carter, M. (1999), ‘South Island Pied Oystercatcher discovered on the Australian Mainland’, Australian Birding, 5: (1) 14-15 & 23.

·       Chandler, R.J. (1989), North Atlantic Shorebirds, Macmillan, London.

·       Marchant, S. & P.J. Higgins (1993), The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, Vol 3, Oxford University Press; Melbourne.

·       Hayman, P., et al 1986. Shorebirds: An identification guide to Waders of the World. Croom Helm, London.

·       Totterman, B., G. Clancy & R. Moffatt, (1999), ‘First Record of South Island Pied Oystercatcher in Australia’, Australian Bird Watcher 18: 153-159.

 

 

 

 

Tony Palliser

Chair, Birds Australia Rarities Committee