BIRDS AUSTRALIA RARITIES
COMMITTEE: RULES
1.1 To receive submissions and to provide an informed, discerning and impartial appraisal of the subject records of birds rare in Australia or it's Territories.
1.2 To maintain an archival record of submissions to the BARC.
1.3 To publish regularly the decisions of the BARC.
1.4 To maintain a Review List of those species which the Committee will treat.
1.5 The Committee is responsible solely to Birds Australia Council for its operations.
1.6 The function of the Committee is to accept or not accept records submitted to it. It does not reject records and its decisions are not binding on any person.
2.1 The Committee shall consist of up to eight members, one of whom shall be the Chairman.
2.2 A candidate for membership shall be a person who, in the estimation of the existing Committee, has demonstrated an expert ability in and knowledge of the field identification of birds and who is a member in good standing of Birds Australia.
2.3 A member shall be nominated by the Committee and be appointed by Birds Australia Council for a term of one year. All members shall be eligible for reappointment to the Committee at the discretion of the Birds Australia Council.
2.4 The Chairman shall be appointed by the Birds Australia Council in consultation with the Committee.
2.5 The Committee shall meet in committee or by other means once each year, when a quorum shall be five members.
2.6 The Committee shall co-opt a proxy to replace a member during a limited absence, or to fill a casual vacancy until the appointment of a full member to the Committee.
2.7 A Committee member shall review records thoughtfully and be committed to doing the work of the Committee in a timely and efficient manner.
2.8 The Committee may remove for cause any member who is delinquent in their duties, by a majority vote of all other members.
(a) General
3.1 All Committee members including the Chairman shall cast a vote independently, which will either Accept or Not Accept a record. Committee members are not required to vote on their own records instead this may be done by an appropriate proxy member.
3.2 Not Accept and where required Accept votes at the first round of voting, and all votes at subsequent rounds shall be supported by reasons for the decision expressed.
3.3 Committee members shall not consult with each other at the first circulation of a record, but may consult before voting at any subsequent recirculation.
3.4 Upon receipt of a submission each Committee member shall:
* judge its validity and cast a vote promptly;
* pass the submission to another Committee member without delay;
* send the vote to the Chairman; and
* the final Committee member to vote shall return the submission to the Chairman.
3.5 A Committee member may request that expert opinion be obtained to assist in the appraisal of a record.
3.6 A vote on a submission may be deferred pending receipt and circulation of expert opinion.
(b) Circulation
3.7 A record shall be accepted if it receives seven or more votes for acceptance.
3.8 A record shall be not accepted if it receives four or more votes against acceptance.
3.9 A second round of voting may take place if:
* there are either five or six votes for acceptance of a record;
* expert opinion is requested and obtained;
* the Chairman or a Committee member so requests with substantive reasons, except when a vote is unanimous; or
* substantial new evidence is presented to the Committee;
and the file containing the first round votes will be recirculated.
3.10 A third and final round of voting with re-circulation of the file may take place, where any of the conditions governing the requirement for a second round vote are repeated.
3.11 A record that has not attained the conditions for a decision for or against acceptance after three rounds of voting shall be discussed at a meeting of the Committee, following which a final vote shall be taken. The record shall then be accepted by a majority vote of at least seven members, or shall otherwise be deemed not accepted.
3.12 In the absence of a decision after the second round of voting, the Chairman or a Committee member may request with reasons that a submission then be considered at a meeting of the Committee.
3.13 At the discretion of the Committee, a case may be reopened through the presentation of new and substantial evidence or for other legitimate reason.
3.14 If the Committee agrees to reopen a case by this means, a decision which reverses a previously accepted record shall only occur by a majority vote of at least five Committee members.
(a) Subject Species
4.1 The Committee will appraise records of species defined in the Review List, and new additions to the Australian List including:
* pelagic seabirds observed within the Australian 200 nautical-mile fishing zone;
* tide-line specimens, collected specimens, road kills, deceased passage migrants and other specimens excepting those transported into Australia or obtained illegally.
4.2 It will not appraise records of birds which the Committee reasonably believes to be of captive origin.
4.3 It may appraise published records which have not previously come before it.
4.4 The Committee shall compile and maintain a Review List of those species which it will treat based on reported observations over a preceding ten-year period, to a maximum average of 1.5 records per year.
4.5 Species averaging greater than 1.5 records per year, with sightings in at least seven years of the preceding decade, shall be removed from the Review List by a majority vote of the Committee.
4.6 A decline in reported abundance to a level corresponding with that defined in paragraph 4.4, may cause a species to be returned to or placed on the Review List by a decision of the Committee.
(b) Submissions
4.7 May be in the form of a report compiled by the observer or author, or may use the Birds Australia Record Submission Form.
4.8 Should annex copies of field notes, sketches, photos and other available material and should indicate the fate of specimens.
4.9 Should contain a complete description of the bird and the circumstances of the observation.
4.10 Should analyse the identification criteria, cite references used, and name other observers able to corroborate the record.
5.1 The decisions of the Committee shall be notified to all Committee members, to the Director of Birds Australia and to persons submitting the record.
5.2 The Committee's decisions will be published annually by Birds Australia.
5.3 The Committee may from time to time publish its case summaries in the Birds Australia report series, by arrangement with Birds Australia Council.
5.4 The case files of the Committee are confidential, and may be made available solely to the President of Birds Australia and others at the discretion of the President.
6.1 Rules: Written by Robert M. Patterson, 1991 Chairman and adopted on 1 October 1991. Revised to reflect name change to Birds Australia September 1997
6.2 1997 Committee: Paul Andrew, Mike Carter, David Eades (Secretary), John Hatch, Tony Palliser (Chair), Bob Patterson, Danny Rogers and Bob Swindley. Proxy members include: Dion Hobcroft, Niven McCrie, David James and Tim Reid.