Our activities include conservation and research-oriented projects, educational activities, and activities which provide opportunities to meet with other people interested in birds and birding and to share experiences.
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We produce a range of brochures and other information on birds in Queensland, and on all aspects of birding in Queensland.
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Bird identification can be difficult, even for experienced birders, and many discussions occur during group walks and camps on this subject.
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We produce a range of brochures and other information on birds in Queensland, and on all aspects of birding in Queensland.
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“Of those bird species known to have been present or to have visited regularly in Australia when Europeans settled in 1788, 1.9% are Extinct and a further 11.5 % are considered Threatened. Some 6.0 % are Near Threatened.”
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Organizations like Birds Queensland assist with scientific research projects by raising money each year and allocating it as grants.
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Birds Queensland is a non-profit organisation that finances its own activities. Our logo is the brightly coloured and beautiful Sunbird which is normally found only between Normanton and Bundaberg.
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Access files, videos and the hardcopy library catalogue
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Welcome to the Birds Queensland member’s area. These pages contain information that will only be available to BQ members.
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Birds Queensland Rarities Appraisal Committee

Barking Owl (Ninox connivens) © Denise Downham

BQ Rarities Appraisal Committee

The Birds Queensland Rarities Appraisal Committee is a panel of experts who evaluate reports of sightings of rare birds and those well outside their expected range.

The list of species that the Committee would like to look at is at the page species to be referred to Rarities Committees

Case files – Before 2020

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 100m off shore of Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island 7-June-2018 Insufficient information provided – Case 201
Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii 30 nautical miles ENE off Southport, SEQ 12-January-2019 Unanimously accepted – Case 202
Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta Tinchi Tamba Wetlands Reserve, Bald Hills, SEQ 27-October-2018 Unanimously accepted – Case 203
Common Diving Petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix 31.3 km SW off Hixon Cay, Capricornia Cays, Great Barrier Reef 12-January-2019 Not accepted – Case 204
Ruff Calidris pugnax Atkinson’s Dam, Lockyer Valley, SEQ 18-November-2018 Unanimously accepted – Case 205
Little Stint Calidris minuta Wide Bay, Lake Moondarra, near Mt Isa 1-November-2019 Accepted – Case 207
Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta Wide Bay, Lake Moondarra, near Mt Isa 1-November-2019 Accepted – Case 208

Case files from number 210 (Jan 2020)

Common name Scientific name Location Date Status
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius Wunjunga Wetlands, near Burdekin 17-February-2020 Accepted – Case 210
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinereus Birthday Creek Falls, Paluma 17-February-2020 Accepted – Case 211
Red-rumped Swallow Cecropis daurica Between Ingham Memorial Gardens and Cockburn Park, Jane St, Ingham 18-February-2020 Accepted – Case 212
Chestnut-backed Buttonquail Turnix castanotus Westmoreland Station,
Gulf of Carpentaria
Oct & Nov 2020 Accepted – Case 215
Rufous Field-wren Calamanthus
campestris
Lake Bindegolly National Park 31 Oct 2021 Not Accepted – Case 216
White-bellied Storm
Petrel
Fregetta grallaria Mooloolaba Under Review – Case 217
Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis Bowra Under Review – Case 218
Perigrine Falcon (Tundra) Falco peregrinus
calidus
Redcliffe bayside suburbs, Brisbane River nth of Griffin Oct 2021 – Feb 2022 Under Review – Case 219
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma Lake Bidegolly, SWQ 22 Sep 2019 Case 220
Blue-winged Parrot Neophema chrysostoma Lake Bidegolly, SWQ 16 Jul 2019 Case 221
Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis off Southport, SEQ 1 Jun 2023 Accepted – Case 222
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Boigu Island, Torres Strait, Q 13 – 16 Nov 2022 Accepted – Case 223
Singing Starling Aplonis cantoroides Boigu Island, Torres Strait, Q 13 – 16 Nov 2022 Accepted – Case 224
Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus Nurupai (Horn Island), Torres Strait, Q 17, 18 Nov 2022 Accepted – Case 225

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Sahul Sunbird (Cinnyris frenatus) © Vince Bugeja