Rare Bird Alert  
 
 

Preset lists of birds by RBA rarity level

The lists below are arranged in the new BOU taxonomic order to show the “rarity level” that we have allocated them as at June 2006. Note that from time to time we will review these rarity levels and update these lists accordingly.

Each column is “cumulative” i.e. it shows all the birds for that level and above. Thus if you choose “Rarities + Megas “ then you only need check that column to see which the species you would get news about. Remember that instead of using these preset groups, there is the alternative of selecting your own species when setting up your filters.

For taxonomic notes on selected birds in the lists, (mainly the forms not currently treated as full species) click here


Megas Megas +Rarities Megas +Rarities +Scarcities Megas +Rarities +Scarcities +Uncommon
Steller's Eider Whistling Swan Whistling Swan Whistling Swan
Harlequin Duck Lesser White-fronted Goose Bean Goose Bewick's Swan
Barrow's Goldeneye Ross's Goose Taiga Bean Goose Whooper Swan
Black-browed Albatross Red-breasted Goose Tundra Bean Goose Bean Goose
Fea's Petrel Falcated Duck Lesser White-fronted Goose Taiga Bean Goose
Black-capped Petrel Baikal Teal Eastern Greylag Goose Tundra Bean Goose
Bulwer's Petrel Black Duck Snow Goose Pink-footed Goose
Little Shearwater Blue-winged Teal Lesser Snow Goose White-fronted Goose
White-faced Petrel Marbled Duck Greater Snow Goose Eurasian White-fronted Goose
Swinhoe's Petrel Canvasback Ross's Goose Greenland White-fronted Goose
Madeiran Petrel Redhead Todd's Canada Goose Lesser White-fronted Goose
Red-billed Tropicbird Ferruginous Duck Lesser Canada Goose Eastern Greylag Goose
Double-crested Cormorant Lesser Scaup Small Canada Goose Snow Goose
Magnificent Frigatebird King Eider Richardson's Canada Goose Lesser Snow Goose
Ascension Frigatebird Steller's Eider Taverner's Canada Goose Greater Snow Goose
American Bittern Harlequin Duck Black Brant Ross's Goose
Green Heron Black Scoter Grey-bellied Brant Atlantic Canada Goose
Snowy Egret White-winged Scoter Red-breasted Goose Todd's Canada Goose
Bald Eagle Bufflehead American Wigeon Lesser Canada Goose
Egyptian Vulture Barrow's Goldeneye Falcated Duck Small Canada Goose
Griffon Vulture Hooded Merganser Baikal Teal Richardson's Canada Goose
Black Vulture White-headed Duck Green-winged Teal Taverner's Canada Goose
Short-toed Eagle White-billed Diver Black Duck Cackling Canada Goose
Spotted Eagle Pied-billed Grebe Blue-winged Teal Barnacle Goose
Booted Eagle Black-browed Albatross Cinnamon Teal Brent Goose
Lesser Kestrel Fea's Petrel Marbled Duck Dark-bellied Brent Goose
American Kestrel Black-capped Petrel Canvasback Pale-bellied Brent Goose
Eleonora's Falcon Bulwer's Petrel Redhead Black Brant
Allen's Gallinule Little Shearwater Ferruginous Duck Grey-bellied Brant
American Purple Gallinule Wilson's Petrel Ring-necked Duck Red-breasted Goose
American Coot White-faced Petrel Lesser Scaup Egyptian Goose
Sandhill Crane Swinhoe's Petrel Northern Eider Ruddy Shelduck
Little Bustard Madeiran Petrel King Eider Wood Duck
Macqueen's Bustard Red-billed Tropicbird Steller's Eider Mandarin
Great Bustard Double-crested Cormorant Harlequin Duck American Wigeon
Cream-coloured Courser White Pelican Black Scoter Falcated Duck
Oriental Pratincole Magnificent Frigatebird Surf Scoter Baikal Teal
Semipalmated Plover Ascension Frigatebird White-winged Scoter Green-winged Teal
Lesser Sand Plover American Bittern Bufflehead Black Duck
Mongolian Sand Plover Least Bittern Barrow's Goldeneye Garganey
Caspian Plover Little Bittern Hooded Merganser Blue-winged Teal
White-tailed Plover Yellow Bittern White-headed Duck Cinnamon Teal
Great Knot Green Heron White-billed Diver Marbled Duck
Red-necked Stint Squacco Heron Pied-billed Grebe Red-crested Pochard
Long-toed Stint Chinese Pond Heron Black-browed Albatross Canvasback
Short-billed Dowitcher Cattle Egret Fea's Petrel Redhead
Hudsonian Godwit Snowy Egret Black-capped Petrel Ferruginous Duck
Little Whimbrel Great White Egret Bulwer's Petrel Ring-necked Duck
Eskimo Curlew American Great White Egret Cory's Shearwater Scaup
Slender-billed Curlew Black Stork Scopoli's Shearwater Lesser Scaup
Grey-tailed Tattler Glossy Ibis Great Shearwater Eider
Brown Skua Greater Flamingo Balearic Shearwater Northern Eider
South Polar Skua Black Kite Little Shearwater King Eider
Great Black-headed Gull White-tailed Eagle Wilson's Petrel Steller's Eider
Slender-billed Gull Bald Eagle White-faced Petrel Harlequin Duck
Audouin's Gull Egyptian Vulture Leach's Petrel Long-tailed Duck
Royal Tern Griffon Vulture Swinhoe's Petrel Common Scoter
Elegant Tern Black Vulture Madeiran Petrel Black Scoter
Aleutian Tern Short-toed Eagle Red-billed Tropicbird Surf Scoter
Bridled Tern Northern Harrier Double-crested Cormorant Velvet Scoter
Sooty Tern Pallid Harrier White Pelican White-winged Scoter
Brunnich's Guillemot Red-shouldered Hawk Magnificent Frigatebird Bufflehead
Ancient Murrelet Spotted Eagle Ascension Frigatebird Barrow's Goldeneye
Pallas's Sandgrouse Booted Eagle American Bittern Goldeneye
Rufous Turtle Dove Lesser Kestrel Least Bittern Hooded Merganser
Mourning Dove American Kestrel Little Bittern Smew
Black-billed Cuckoo Red-footed Falcon Yellow Bittern Red-breasted Merganser
Yellow-billed Cuckoo Eleonora's Falcon Night Heron Goosander
Scops Owl Gyr Green Heron Ruddy Duck
Hawk Owl Sora Squacco Heron White-headed Duck
Tengmalm's Owl Little Crake Chinese Pond Heron Black Grouse
Red-necked Nightjar Baillon's Crake Cattle Egret Capercaillie
Egyptian Nightjar Allen's Gallinule Snowy Egret Quail
Common Nighthawk American Purple Gallinule Great White Egret Golden Pheasant
White-throated Needletail American Coot American Great White Egret Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Pacific Swift Sandhill Crane Purple Heron Red-throated Diver
White-rumped Swift Little Bustard Black Stork Black-throated Diver
Belted Kingfisher Macqueen's Bustard White Stork Great Northern Diver
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Great Bustard Sacred Ibis White-billed Diver
Northern Flicker Black-winged Stilt Glossy Ibis Pied-billed Grebe
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Cream-coloured Courser Spoonbill Red-necked Grebe
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Collared Pratincole Greater Flamingo Slavonian Grebe
Eastern Phoebe Oriental Pratincole Honey Buzzard Black-necked Grebe
Calandra Lark Black-winged Pratincole Black Kite Black-browed Albatross
Bimaculated Lark Semipalmated Plover White-tailed Eagle Fulmar
White-winged Lark Killdeer Bald Eagle Blue Fulmar
Black Lark Lesser Sand Plover Egyptian Vulture Fea's Petrel
Lesser Short-toed Lark Mongolian Sand Plover Griffon Vulture Black-capped Petrel
Crested Lark Greater Sand Plover Black Vulture Bulwer's Petrel
Purple Martin Caspian Plover Short-toed Eagle Cory's Shearwater
Tree Swallow American Golden Plover Northern Harrier Scopoli's Shearwater
Crag Martin Pacific Golden Plover Pallid Harrier Great Shearwater
Cliff Swallow Sociable Plover Montagu's Harrier Sooty Shearwater
Pechora Pipit White-tailed Plover Red-shouldered Hawk Manx Shearwater
Buff-bellied Pipit Great Knot Rough-legged Buzzard Balearic Shearwater
Cedar Waxwing Semipalmated Sandpiper Spotted Eagle Little Shearwater
Northern Mockingbird Western Sandpiper Booted Eagle Wilson's Petrel
Brown Thrasher Red-necked Stint Lesser Kestrel White-faced Petrel
Grey Catbird Long-toed Stint American Kestrel Storm Petrel
Rufous Bush Chat Least Sandpiper Red-footed Falcon Leach's Petrel
Siberian Blue Robin White-rumped Sandpiper Eleonora's Falcon Swinhoe's Petrel
Rufous-tailed Robin Baird's Sandpiper Saker Madeiran Petrel
Siberian Rubythroat Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Gyr Red-billed Tropicbird
White-throated Robin Broad-billed Sandpiper Spotted Crake Gannet
Moussier's Redstart Stilt Sandpiper Sora Continental Cormorant
White-crowned Black Wheatear Wilson's Snipe Little Crake Double-crested Cormorant
Rock Thrush Great Snipe Baillon's Crake Shag
Blue Rock Thrush Short-billed Dowitcher Corncrake White Pelican
White's Thrush Long-billed Dowitcher Allen's Gallinule Magnificent Frigatebird
Siberian Thrush Hudsonian Godwit American Purple Gallinule Ascension Frigatebird
Varied Thrush Little Whimbrel American Coot Bittern
Wood Thrush Eskimo Curlew Common Crane American Bittern
Hermit Thrush Hudsonian Whimbrel Sandhill Crane Least Bittern
Swainson's Thrush Slender-billed Curlew Little Bustard Little Bittern
Bicknell's Thrush Upland Sandpiper Macqueen's Bustard Yellow Bittern
Veery Marsh Sandpiper Great Bustard Night Heron
Eyebrowed Thrush Greater Yellowlegs Black-winged Stilt Green Heron
Naumann's Thrush Lesser Yellowlegs Cream-coloured Courser Squacco Heron
Dusky Thrush Solitary Sandpiper Collared Pratincole Chinese Pond Heron
Fan-tailed Warbler Terek Sandpiper Oriental Pratincole Cattle Egret
Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler Spotted Sandpiper Black-winged Pratincole Snowy Egret
Lanceolated Warbler Grey-tailed Tattler Semipalmated Plover Little Egret
River Warbler Wilson's Phalarope Killdeer Great White Egret
Moustached Warbler Brown Skua Kentish Plover American Great White Egret
Thick-billed Warbler South Polar Skua Lesser Sand Plover Purple Heron
Sykes's Warbler Great Black-headed Gull Mongolian Sand Plover Black Stork
Marmora's Warbler Laughing Gull Greater Sand Plover White Stork
Spectacled Warbler Franklin's Gull Caspian Plover Sacred Ibis
Ruppell's Warbler Bonaparte's Gull Dotterel Glossy Ibis
Asian Desert Warbler Slender-billed Gull American Golden Plover Spoonbill
Orphean Warbler Heuglin's Gull Pacific Golden Plover Greater Flamingo
Eastern Bonelli's Warbler American Herring Gull Sociable Plover Honey Buzzard
Brown Flycatcher Audouin's Gull White-tailed Plover Black Kite
Taiga Flycatcher Thayer's Gull Great Knot Red Kite
Mugimaki Flycatcher Ross's Gull Semipalmated Sandpiper White-tailed Eagle
Collared Flycatcher Ivory Gull Western Sandpiper Bald Eagle
Red-breasted Nuthatch Gull-billed Tern Red-necked Stint Egyptian Vulture
Wallcreeper Caspian Tern Temminck's Stint Griffon Vulture
Brown Shrike Royal Tern Long-toed Stint Black Vulture
Long-tailed Shrike Lesser Crested Tern Least Sandpiper Short-toed Eagle
Steppe Grey Shrike Elegant Tern White-rumped Sandpiper Marsh Harrier
Masked Shrike Cayenne Tern Baird's Sandpiper Hen Harrier
Nutcracker Aleutian Tern Pectoral Sandpiper Northern Harrier
House Crow Forster's Tern Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Pallid Harrier
Spanish Sparrow Bridled Tern Broad-billed Sandpiper Montagu's Harrier
Rock Sparrow Sooty Tern Stilt Sandpiper Goshawk
Yellow-throated Vireo Least Tern Buff-breasted Sandpiper Red-shouldered Hawk
Philadelphia Vireo Whiskered Tern Wilson's Snipe Common Buzzard
Pine Grosbeak American Black Tern Great Snipe Rough-legged Buzzard
Evening Grosbeak White-winged Black Tern Short-billed Dowitcher Spotted Eagle
Black-and-white Warbler Brunnich's Guillemot Long-billed Dowitcher Golden Eagle
Blue-winged Warbler Ancient Murrelet Hudsonian Godwit Booted Eagle
Golden-winged Warbler Pallas's Sandgrouse Little Whimbrel Osprey
Tennessee Warbler Rufous Turtle Dove Eskimo Curlew Lesser Kestrel
Northern Parula Mourning Dove Hudsonian Whimbrel American Kestrel
Yellow Warbler Great Spotted Cuckoo Slender-billed Curlew Red-footed Falcon
Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-billed Cuckoo Upland Sandpiper Merlin
Blackburnian Warbler Yellow-billed Cuckoo Marsh Sandpiper Hobby
Cape May Warbler Scops Owl Greater Yellowlegs Eleonora's Falcon
Magnolia Warbler Snowy Owl Lesser Yellowlegs Saker
Myrtle Warbler Hawk Owl Solitary Sandpiper Gyr
Blackpoll Warbler Tengmalm's Owl Terek Sandpiper Peregrine
Bay-breasted Warbler Red-necked Nightjar Spotted Sandpiper Water Rail
American Redstart Egyptian Nightjar Grey-tailed Tattler Spotted Crake
Ovenbird Common Nighthawk Wilson's Phalarope Sora
Northern Waterthrush Chimney Swift Red-necked Phalarope Little Crake
Common Yellowthroat White-throated Needletail Grey Phalarope Baillon's Crake
Hooded Warbler Pallid Swift Pomarine Skua Corncrake
Wilson's Warbler Pacific Swift Long-tailed Skua Allen's Gallinule
Summer Tanager Alpine Swift Brown Skua American Purple Gallinule
Scarlet Tanager Little Swift South Polar Skua American Coot
Eastern Towhee White-rumped Swift Great Black-headed Gull Common Crane
Lark Sparrow Belted Kingfisher Laughing Gull Sandhill Crane
Savannah Sparrow Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Franklin's Gull Little Bustard
Ipswich Sparrow Bee-eater Sabine's Gull Macqueen's Bustard
Field Sparrow Roller Bonaparte's Gull Great Bustard
Fox Sparrow Northern Flicker Slender-billed Gull Black-winged Stilt
Song Sparrow Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Ring-billed Gull Avocet
White-crowned Sparrow Middle Spotted Woodpecker Baltic Gull Stone Curlew
Dark-eyed Junco Eastern Phoebe Heuglin's Gull Cream-coloured Courser
Black-faced Bunting Calandra Lark Caspian Gull Collared Pratincole
Rock Bunting Bimaculated Lark American Herring Gull Oriental Pratincole
Cretzschmar's Bunting White-winged Lark Audouin's Gull Black-winged Pratincole
Yellow-browed Bunting Black Lark Iceland Gull Little Ringed Plover
Pallas's Reed Bunting Lesser Short-toed Lark Kumlien's Gull Tundra Ringed Plover
Rose-breasted Grosbeak Crested Lark Thayer's Gull Semipalmated Plover
Indigo Bunting Northern Horned Lark Glaucous Gull Killdeer
Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Martin Ross's Gull Kentish Plover
  Tree Swallow Ivory Gull Lesser Sand Plover
  Crag Martin Gull-billed Tern Mongolian Sand Plover
  Red-rumped Swallow Caspian Tern Greater Sand Plover
  Cliff Swallow Royal Tern Caspian Plover
  Blyth's Pipit Lesser Crested Tern Dotterel
  Olive-backed Pipit Elegant Tern American Golden Plover
  Pechora Pipit Cayenne Tern Pacific Golden Plover
  Red-throated Pipit Roseate Tern Grey Plover
  Buff-bellied Pipit Aleutian Tern Sociable Plover
  Eastern Blue-headed Wagtail Forster's Tern White-tailed Plover
  Black-headed Wagtail Bridled Tern Great Knot
  Citrine Wagtail Sooty Tern Knot
  Amur Wagtail Least Tern Sanderling
  Cedar Waxwing Whiskered Tern Semipalmated Sandpiper
  Northern Mockingbird American Black Tern Western Sandpiper
  Brown Thrasher White-winged Black Tern Red-necked Stint
  Grey Catbird Brunnich's Guillemot Little Stint
  Alpine Accentor Ancient Murrelet Temminck's Stint
  Rufous Bush Chat Little Auk Long-toed Stint
  Thrush Nightingale Pallas's Sandgrouse Least Sandpiper
  Eastern Nightingale Rufous Turtle Dove White-rumped Sandpiper
  Siberian Blue Robin Mourning Dove Baird's Sandpiper
  Rufous-tailed Robin Great Spotted Cuckoo Pectoral Sandpiper
  Siberian Rubythroat Black-billed Cuckoo Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
  Red-flanked Bluetail Yellow-billed Cuckoo Curlew Sandpiper
  White-throated Robin Dark-breasted Barn Owl Purple Sandpiper
  Eastern Black Redstart Scops Owl Broad-billed Sandpiper
  Ehrenberg's Redstart Snowy Owl Stilt Sandpiper
  Moussier's Redstart Hawk Owl Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  Caucasian Stonechat Tengmalm's Owl Ruff
  Siberian Stonechat Red-necked Nightjar Jack Snipe
  Isabelline Wheatear Egyptian Nightjar Wilson's Snipe
  Pied Wheatear Common Nighthawk Great Snipe
  Black-eared Wheatear Chimney Swift Short-billed Dowitcher
  Western Black-eared Wheatear White-throated Needletail Long-billed Dowitcher
  Eastern Black-eared Wheatear Pallid Swift Woodcock
  Desert Wheatear Pacific Swift Black-tailed Godwit
  White-crowned Black Wheatear Alpine Swift Continental Black-tailed Godwit
  Rock Thrush Little Swift Icelandic Black-tailed Godwit
  Blue Rock Thrush White-rumped Swift Hudsonian Godwit
  White's Thrush Belted Kingfisher Bar-tailed Godwit
  Siberian Thrush Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Little Whimbrel
  Varied Thrush Bee-eater Eskimo Curlew
  Wood Thrush Roller Whimbrel
  Hermit Thrush Hoopoe Hudsonian Whimbrel
  Swainson's Thrush Wryneck Slender-billed Curlew
  Grey-cheeked Thrush Northern Flicker Upland Sandpiper
  Bicknell's Thrush Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Spotted Redshank
  Veery Middle Spotted Woodpecker Marsh Sandpiper
  Eyebrowed Thrush Eastern Phoebe Greenshank
  Naumann'