Rarities Committee

Case files - updated to February 2018

Common name Scientific name Location Date Status
Trumpet Manucode Manucodia keraudrenii Pallarenda; NQ 4 & 6-April-2004 Not accepted - Case 106
Grey Honeyeater Conopophila whitei Glenormiston; SWQ. 14-November-2004 Not accepted - Case 107
Ruff / Reeve Philomachus pugnax Garnet's Lagoon; QLD 29-September-2004 Not accepted - Case 108
Superb Parrot (1) Polytelis swainsonii Karara; SEQ 05-August-2003 Accepted - Case109
Superb Parrot (2) Polytelis swainsonii Greyholm; SEQ 03-September-2005 Accepted - Case 110
Franklin's Gull (4) Larus pipixcan Fraser Island; SEQ 09-May-2005 Accepted - BARC case 468
Pacific Gull (1) Larus pacificus Scarborough; SEQ 09-July-2005 Accepted - Case 112
Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis Kingaroy; SEQ 17-June-2006 Returned for more information
Pacific Gull (2) Larus pacificus Inskip Point; SEQ 22-June-2006 Accepted - Case 114
Pied Heron Egretta picata Garnet's Lagoon; QLD 01-November-2005 Accepted - Case 115
Franklin's Gull (5) Larus pipixcan Jumpinpin Bar, SEQ 27-May-2006 Accepted - Case 116
Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii Dreghorn Station, 55km SE of Charters Towers 01-August-2008 Awaiting further observations from the area
Westland Black Petrel Procellaria westlandica off Southport, SEQ 19-August-2006 Accepted - BARC case 499
White-necked Petrel (4) Pterodroma cervicalis 30 km east of Southport; SEQ 18-February-2009 Accepted - Case 119
White-necked Petrel (5) Pterodroma cervicalis 5 nautical miles east of Jumpinpin Bar; SEQ 19-February-2009 Accepted - case 120
Grey Wagtail (3) Motacilla cinerea Fraser Island; SEQ 05-December-2006 Accepted - BARC case 511
Long-tailed Cuckoo Eudynamys taitensis Annandale, Townville; NQ 10-January-2007 Not accepted - BARC case 514
Red-rumped Swallow Hirundo daurica Newell Beach; NQ 07-January-2009 BARC case
Hybrid duck   Eromanga; ????? 01-March-2008 Returned to observers with recommendations
Brown Skua (2) Stercorarius antarcticus 11 km ENE off Southport; SEQ 16-August-2008 Accepted - Case 125
Grey Ternlet (4) Procelsterna cerulea 7 km ENE off Southport; SEQ 15-December-2007 Accepted - Case 126
White-necked Petrel (6) Pterodroma cervicalis ENE off Southport; SEQ 15-March-2008 Accepted - Case 127
Kelp Gull (2) Larus dominicanus Inskip Point; SEQ 01-February-2009 Accepted - Case 128
Kelp Gull (3) Larus dominicanus Inskip Point; SEQ 14-April-2009 Accepted - Case 129
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis Woorim Lookout 04-August-2009 Not accepted - Case 130
Fairy Tern Sternula nereis Swain Reef 15-July-2009 Accepted - Case 131
White-necked Petrel Pterodroma cervicalis ESE of Southport, SEQ 20-February-2010 Accepted - Case 132
Black-winged Petrel Pterodroma nigripennis ESE of Southport, SEQ 20-February-2010 Accepted - Case 133
Campbell's Albatross Thalassarche impavida 28 nm ENE of Southport 21-June-2008 Accepted - Case 134
Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epophora near Lynch's Reef, Great Barrier Reef 25-April-2010 Accepted - Case 135
Hooded Plover Thinornis rubricollis North Shore, SEQ 15-June-2010 Accepted - Case 136
Arctic Tern Sterna paradise North Shore, SEQ 15-June-2010 Not accepted - Case 137
Light-manted Sooty Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata South Stradbroke Island 25-June-2010 Accepted - Case 138
Spotted Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna guttata Woodford Lagoon, Weipa, CY 18-July-2010 Accepted - Case 139
Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor Upper Lockyer. SEQ 07-August-2010 Accepted - Case 140
Salvin's Albatross Thalassarche salvini South Stradbroke Island 25-November-2010 Accepted - Case 141
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus Port of Brisbane, SEQ 24-October-2010 Accepted - Case 142
Grey Ternlet Procelsterna cerulea Lady Elliot Island 4 - 5 Dec 2010 Accepted - Case 143
Spotted Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna guttata Several locations. Cape York April 2007; May and December 2008 Accepted - Cases 145 and 146
Rufous Fieldwren Calamanthus campestris Bulloo Flood-plains 12-August-2009 Accepted - Cases 156
Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata Off Mooloolaba 28 December 2012 Accepted - Case 162
Buller’s Albatross Thalassarche bulleri Off Southport 17 July 2012 Accepted - Case 163
Painted Snipe Rostratula australis Bowra Station 4 October 2011 Accepted - Case 164
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata Great Basalt National Park 28 August 2011 Not Accepted - Case 165
Great-billed Heron Ardea Sumatrana Ormeau SEQ 5 October 2012 Accepted - Case 166
Painted Snipe Rostratula australis UQ Campus 24 October 2012 Accepted - Case 167
Painted Snipe Rostratula australis Between Nanango and Linfield 10 October 2010 Accepted - Case 168
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus Bowra Station 24 June 2013 Accepted - Case 169
Common Redpoll Carduelis flammea  Inskip Point 2 June 2013 Accepted - Case 170
Pacific Gull Larus pacificus Bribie Island 12 June 2013 Accepted - Case 171
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma Bowra Station 8 June 2013 Not accepted - Case 172
Rufous Scrub-bird Atrichornis rufescens Whian Whian Conservation Area 4 May 2013 Not accepted - Case 173
Light-mantled Sooty Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata Off Southport 16 June 2012 Accepted - Case 174
Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Lake Barambah 16-Jan-14 Accepted - Case 819
Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata off Southport 20-Oct-13 Accepted - Case 176
Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata 32.5 nm off Mooloolaba 2-Nov-13 Accepted - Case 177
Black Petrel Procellaria parkinsoni 32 nm off Mooloolaba 6-Dec-14 Accepted - Case 178
Greenfinch Chloris chloris Sandy Camp Wetlands Reserve; Wynnum North 17-May-15 Accepted - Case 179
Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata 9 nm off Southport 16-Aug-16 Accepted - Case 180
Buller's Albatross Thalassarche bulleri 21 nm and 32 nm off Southport 26-Jul-14 Accepted - Case 181
Buller's Albatross Thalassarche bulleri 23.5 nm ENE of Southport 29-Jun-13 Accepted - Case 182
Campbell albatross Thalassarche impavida 24 nm ENE of Southport 29-Jun-13 Accepted - Case 183
Soft-plumaged Petrel Pterodroma mollis 30 km off Mooloolaba 11-Jul-15 Accepted - Case 184
White-chinned Petrel Procellaria aequinoctialis 30 km off Mooloolaba 11-Jul-15 Accepted - Case 185
Antarctic Prion Pachyptila desolata 22.5 nm ENE of Southport 28-Jun-15 Accepted - Case 186
Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata 22.5 nm ENE of Southport 28-Jun-15 Accepted - Case 187
Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans 23 nm ENE of Southport 28-Jun-15 Accepted - Case 188
Garganey Anas querquedula Saibai Island, Torrest Strait 9-Mar-16 Accepted - Case 189
Buff-breasted Button-quail Turnix olivii     Not accepted - Case 190
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea Case withdrawn by Observer   Case 191
Mottled Petrel Pterodroma inexpectata 28.0 nm E of Southport 19-Oct-16 Accepted - Case 192
Brown Skua Stercorarius antarcticus 32 nm E of Mooloolaba 30-Jul-17 Accepted - Case 193
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii 30.0 nm ENE of Southport 17-Dec-2017 Accepted - Case 194
Little Stint Calidris minuta Burketown Sewerage Treatment Works FNQ 26-Oct-2017 Accepted - Case 195
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanous At sea 25km south of Weipa, Gulf of Carpentaria 2-Apr-2018 Accepted - Case 196
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanous Boigu Island, Torres Strait 5-Mar-2018 - 1-Apr-2018 Accepted - Case 197
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanous Saibai Island, Torres Strait 17-Sep-2018 Accepted - Case 198
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanous Dauan Island, Torres Strait 17-Sep-2018 Accepted - Case 199
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanous Horn Island Airport, Torres Strait 21-Sep-2018 Accepted - Case 200
Southern Giant Petrel Macronectes giganteus     Under review - Case 201
Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii     Under review - Case 202

BQ Rarities Appraisal Committee species list - Updated 2019

Taxonomy following International Ornithological Congress (IOC)

The list of species that the Bird Queensland Rarities Appraisal Committee would like to look at has recently been updated with a few species removed and several more species added.

Rare / unusual records reported to Birds Queensland that require a BQ Rarities Appraisal Committee submission will only remain on the Birds Queensland website for four weeks, unless a submission is received by the RAC chairperson within than time. Any record without BQ RAC submission will be removed from the BQ database by the BQ Record Officer.

Common name

Scientific name
Spotted Whistling DuckDendrocygna guttata
GarganeySpatula querquedula
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
Little PenguinEudyptula minor
White-bellied Storm PetrelFregetta grallaria
Polynesian Storm PetrelNesofregetta fuliginosa
Wandering AlbatrossDiomedea exulans
Antipodean AlbatrossDiomedea antipodensis (D.a. antipodensis and D.a. gibsoni)
Southern Royal AlbatrossDiomedea epomophora
Sooty AlbatrossPhoebetria fusca
Light-mantled AlbatrossPhoebetria palpebrata
Shy AlbatrossThalassarche cauta (T.c. cauta and T.c. steadi)
Salvin's AlbatrossThalassarche salvini
Grey-headed AlbatrossThalassarche chrysostoma
Indian Yellow-nosed AlbatrossThalassarche carteri
Buller's AlbatrossThalassarche bulleri (T.b. bulleri and T.b. platei)
Leach's Storm PetrelOceanodroma leucorhoa
Southern FulmarFulmarus glacialoides
Blue PetrelHalobaena caerulea
Broad-billed PrionPachyptila vittata
Salvin's PrionPachyptila salvini
Antarctic PrionPachyptila desolata1
Slender-billed PrionPachyptila belcheri1
Kerguelen PetrelAphrodroma brevirostris
Great-winged PetrelPterodroma macroptera
Soft-plumaged PetrelPterodroma mollis
Herald PetrelPterodroma heraldica
Mottled PetrelPterodroma inexpectata
White-necked PetrelPterodroma cervicalis
Black-winged PetrelPterodroma nigripennis
Collared PetrelPterodroma brevipes
Cook's PetrelPterodroma cookii
Stejneger's PetrelPterodroma longirostris
White-chinned PetrelProcellaria aequinoctialis
Black PetrelProcellaria parkinsoni
Westland PetrelProcellaria westlandica
Tropical ShearwaterPuffinus bailloni
Little ShearwaterPuffinus assimilis
Common Diving PetrelPelecanoides urinatrix
Bulwer's PetrelBulweria bulwerii
Yellow BitternIxobrychus sinensis
Gurney's EagleAquila gurneyi
Red GoshawkErythrotriorchis radiatus
Buff-breasted ButtonquailTurnix olivii
South Island OystercatcherHaematopus finschi
Banded StiltCladorhynchus leucocephalus
Common Ringed PloverCharadrius hiaticula
Little Ringed PloverCharadrius dubius
Australian Painted-snipeRostratula australis
Plains-wandererPedionomus torquatus
RuffCalidris pugnax
Long-toed StintCalidris subminuta
DunlinCalidris alpina
Swinhoe's SnipeGallinago megala
Red-necked PhalaropePhalaropus lobatus
Red PhalaropePhalaropus fulicarius
Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipes
Common RedshankTringa totanus
Grey NoddyAnous albivitta
White TernGygis alba
Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
Pacific GullLarus pacificus
Black-tailed GullLarus crassirostris
Kelp GullLarus dominicanus
Slaty-backed GullLarus schistisagus
Fairy TernSternula nereis
Arctic TernSterna paradisaea
South Polar SkuaStercorarius maccormicki
Brown SkuaStercorarius antarcticus
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudus
Orange-fronted Fruit DovePtilinopus aurantiifrons
Orange-bellied Fruit DovePtilinopus iozonus
Collared Imperial PigeonDucula mullerii
Zoe's Imperial PigeonDucula zoeae
Pacific Long-tailed CuckooUrodynamis taitensis
Glossy SwiftletCollocalia esculenta
Uniform SwiftletAerodramus vanikorensis
Papuan Spine-tailed SwiftMearnsia novaeguineae
House SwiftApus nipalensis
Little Paradise KingfisherTanysiptera hydrocharis
Superb ParrotPolytelis swainsonii
Princess ParrotPolytelis alexandrae
Golden-shouldered ParrotPsephotus chrysopterygius2
Paradise ParrotPsephotellus pulcherrimus
Swift ParrotLathamus discolor
Night ParrotPezoporus occidentalis
Blue-winged ParrotNeophema chrysostoma
Elegant ParrotNeophema elegans
Scarlet-chested ParrotNeophema splendida
Purple-crowned LorikeetParvipsitta porphyrocephala
Double-eyed Fig Parrot (Coxen's)Cyclopsitta diophthalma coxeni
Regent HoneyeaterAnthochaera phrygia
Eastern BristlebirdDasyornis brachypterus
Rufous FieldwrenCalamanthus campestris
Slaty-backed ThornbillAcanthiza robustirostris
Banded WhitefaceAphelocephala nigricincta
Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia
Red-rumped SwallowCecropis daurica
Oriental Reed WarblerAcrocephalus orientalis
Singing StarlingAplonis cantoroides
Common BlackbirdTurdus merula
Eyebrowed ThrushTurdus obscurus
Blue Rock ThrushMonticola solitarius
Isabelline WheatearOenanthe isabellina
Red-capped FlowerpeckerDicaeum geelvinkianum
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanus
Star Finch (eastern form)Neochmia ruficauda ruficauda
Black-throated Finch (white-rumped form)Poephila cincta cincta3
Gouldian FinchErythura gouldiae2
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinerea
White WagtailMotacilla alba
European GreenfinchChloris chloris
Common RedpollAcanthis flammea

  1. All non-specimen records only
  2. Records outside known range for the species as defined in The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000 (Garnett et al. 2011)
  3. All records south of 21°S

Records in bold = species that need to be referred to BARC (Birds Australia Rarities Committee).

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