Removal of Species and Subspecies, 1999 & 2000.
The following forms have been removed or partly removed from the list of species requiring a description (see IRBC 1998, pp. 37-38):
As of 1st January 1999:
Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea off the southwest coast between the Old Head of Kinsale, Co. Cork and the Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare.
Descriptions are still required for sightings in all other areas, where the species is of much less regular or rare occurrence. In addition, descriptions are required at Cape Clear Island, Co. Cork, in accordance with the policy of the Cape Clear Bird Observatory Recorder. Likewise, all claims of the Mediterranean subspecies diomedea ('Scopoli's Shearwater') and the Cape Verde subspecies edwardsii ('Cape Verde Shearwater'), both of which have yet to be recorded in Irish waters, require documentation.
As of 1st January 2000:
Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
Green-winged Teal Anas crecca carolinensis
Smew Mergellus albellus
Osprey Pandion haliaetus
Yellow-legged (Herring) Gull Larus (argentatus) michahellis
Note that the exclusion of Yellow-legged (Herring) Gull applies only to "standard" michahellis types. Records of L. (a.) cachinnans ('Caspian Gull') or birds believed to be referable to the Atlantic islands form L. argentatus/michahellis atlantis will still require assessment by the IRBC. The IRBC would like to remind observers that records of the northern European nominate form of Herring Gull L. a. argentatus do not need to be documented.
As always on such occasions, we wish to emphasise that descriptions for unusual or unseasonal records of species or subspecies removed from the rarity list may be requested by the IRBC or regional recorders.
References
Irish Rare Birds Committee. 1998. Checklist of the Birds of Ireland. BirdWatch Ireland, Dublin.