We are well into a new year for Vermont birds and birders! Hopefully there will be many sightings of rare birds, rare nesting records or out-of-season reports!
The Vermont Bird Records Committee encourages everyone to submit sightings of interest which will be reviewed at its annual meeting in November or at interim meetings during the year as volume requires. The deadline for submissions for this year is October 10. Any 2021 submissions received after October 10 will be considered in early 2022.
What do you do if you think you've seen something unusual?
1. Check the Vermont Bird Checklist to find out which species require a report, whether out-of-range, out-of-season or a rare nesting record. https://vtecostudies.org/wildlife/wildlife-watching/vbrc/bird-checklists/. Pro Tip: Keep a copy of the checklist in your car or bookmark the link on your phone so you can check if you think you've found something unusual - the fresher the details the better!
2. eBird your sighting! This isn't required in order to submit rare species documentation, but it helps build the database of all the birds seen in the Vermont. Local eBird reviewers can also help you determine if rare species documentation is needed: https://ebird.org/vt/home.
3. Complete a Rare Species Documentation form. You can find a link to the form here as well as a couple of articles on how to thoroughly document your sighting: https://vtecostudies.org/wildlife/wildlife-watching/vbrc/report/.
The 2020 Vermont Bird Records Committee Report will be available in March. Past annual reports can be found here:
https://vtecostudies.org/wildlife/wildlife-watching/vbrc/annual-reports/
The Vermont Bird Records Committee looks forward to seeing your reports! Get out there and enjoy birding!
Ken Cox, Co-Chair
Sue Elliott, Co-Chair