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Previous Records
Using our vast and sophisticated database of all the 30,000+ records of rarities published to date, you can now search and sort these records in almost any way you wish. The records are presented in a variety of tables, maps, graphs and charts. All records ever published by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC) and the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) are now available here.

Get the answers to all manner of questions. For instance, based on previous records, what are the chances of a September Great Snipe staying a 2nd day? or staying until next weekend?  Exactly what rarities have been found during the week of 19-26th October? Anywhere? On Scilly? In Norfolk?  Do you have more chance of seeing a Red-throated Pipit on the first weekend of May in Norfolk or Yorkshire?  All the answers lie within. Start your exploration using the filters below.

Filter tips:
  Leaving any section blank will automatically select "all" in that section
   Select a species (from either box) and click go to see all records for that species
     Choose an area (but not a species) to see all records for that area

About Previous Records

What’s here
All British Birds Rarity Committee (BBRC) records up until the end of 2008 and Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) records up until the end of 2007 are in the database. In addition, we have included some records of birds in the period covered that have not been submitted or have been submitted and are pending. Historically there have always been records that were not submitted for a variety of reasons, and unfortunately many of these reports may never now be adjudicated. However in recent years it has become much easier to publish good evidence of an occurrence, such as photos in magazines or online. Fortunately most such records are then submitted to the appropriate rarities committee, but in a few instances some are not. Where such evidence is published in the public domain, and the sighting refers to a year for which the records committee has already published then we may choose to include such records here, with reference to source and with the status "not submitted / pending". Obviously they do not constitute an official record as such, and we urge anyone who has seen such a bird to contact the appropriate body with details of the sighting. Please see the links below.

What’s not here
* Records of birds not yet published.
   (for which we provide easy links to our News Reports database - updated throughout the day - every day)
* Records that were published as “not proven”, colloquially often referred to as “rejected” records.
* Records that were not submitted, apart from some exceptions noted above.

Know of a record not here? submit it!
For further information and details of how to submit records please visit

  BBRC website     Submit records to BBRC here

  IRBC website

Totals
Near the top of each species page, the "at a glance" section shows the official current BBRC or IRBC published estimate of individuals to have occurred. Further down each page we show the details for each record as per any filter you have set - eg Yorkshire, or 1990-2006 or other. What is returned is every published record that matches your filter, plus at the top of each graph and chart we tell you how many such records are shown / analysed. Note, however, that this total is not the same as the number of individual birds. For instance: some records are for returning birds from previous years (but not necessarily to the same county), some records are for flocks, and some are for birds also recorded elsewhere, eg in neighbouring counties. Thus a record of a individual in Yorkshire also recorded in County Durham, will be included in County Durham and Yorkshire records. The BBRC total however will reflect that they were deemed to have been the same bird. Thus the BBRC and IRBC totals shown are the definitive ones.


BOU/IRBC category
The British Ornithologists Union (BOU) and the Irish Rare Birds Committee (IRBC) are the keepers of the official British and Irish lists. The following categories apply to the rarities in this database:

  A   This species has occurred in the wild since 1950
  A1 Has occurred in the wild (but not necessarily recognised as a full species)
  B   Has occured in the wild but the most recent record was before 1950


RBA current status
In our news reports, Rare Bird Alert categorise birds based upon their occurrence in the most recent 5 years. A species status is weighted by a combination of how frequently a species occurs and how difficult it has been to "connect" with this species.

   Extremely rare vagrant (Mega)
   Rare vagrant (Rarity)
   Scarcity
   Uncommon
   Common


This is the beta version of Previous Records.
Please let us know if you have any problems using it or spot any errors.


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Rare Bird Alert 17 Keswick Close Norwich NR4 6UW