California birders,

In late April the California Bird Records Committee ( CBRC )
will begin review ing
the following records. If you have any documentation to
submit for these
records, please do so as soon as possible. Feel free to for ward
this request to
local listservs as appropriate. Thank you.

Tom

Thomas A. Benson

Secretary, California Bird Records Committee

2020-007 Emperor Goose (2), 9 Jan - 15 Mar 20, Point Piedras Blancas, SLO
2020-021 Emperor Goose (1), 18 Mar 20, Bodega Head, SON
2020-022 Emperor Goose (2), 20 Mar - 3 Apr 20, San Gregorio State Beach, SM
2019-174 Garganey (1), 10 Nov 19 - 30 Mar 20, Salton Sea SRA, RIV
2020-002 Garganey (1), 3 Jan - 31 Jan 20, West Sacramento, YOL
2020-015 Garganey (1), 26 Feb - 31 Mar 20, Arbuckle, COL
2019-080 Little Stint (1), 2 Aug - 3 Apr 19, San Diego Bay saltworks, SD
2020-003 Slaty-backed Gull (1), 14-15 Jan 20, Half Moon Bay, SM
2020-010 Slaty-backed Gull (1), 31 Jan - 15 Feb 20, Yolo County Central Landfill (vicinity), YOL
2020-014 Slaty-backed Gull (1), 26-26 Feb 20, Crescent City Harbor, DN
2020-025 Slaty-backed Gull (1), 27 Mar 20, Point Pinos, MTY
2020-004 Yellow-billed Loon (1), 14 Jan - 12 Mar 20, Stone Lagoon, DN
2020-171 Black Vulture (1), 3-17 Nov 19, Bolinas Lagoon, MRN
2019-197 Black Vulture (1), 12 Dec 19 - 21 Feb 20, Bishop, INY

What kind of documentation should
one submit to the CBRC
Following are some guidelines for submitting
media and written
descriptions that will be useful for helping
the CBRC evaluate
records and archive documentation . Documentation may
be submitted directly to the secretary via email ( secretary@... ),
or by using the online submission for m
( http://www.californiabirds.org/report_sighting.html ).

Media: This includes photos, audio recordings, and video.
Photographs are usually the most useful documentation for evaluating
records. If you have reasonably good (=identifiable) photos, please submit them. If possible, please crop the photos before submission so that the bird fills most of the frame. Also, please send originals whenever possible, and not
screenshots or back-of-camera photos. How many photos should you submit That really depends on the record. If it is a long-staying rarity that is easily identifiable and seen
by dozens of people, then a few photos (1-3 per person) are sufficient. If it is a mega-rarity that is difficult to identify and only
seen by one or few people, then send as many photos as possible that show the bird at different angles, postures, lighting, etc. Sometimes it is also useful to submit audio and /or
video recordings of the bird, as some birds are more easily identified by their vocalizations. If relatively short, most audio recordings are small enough to be submitted via email; please submit those along with a brief note indicating the date and location
of the recording. Large audio files and video
files can be submitted by using a file sharing service; please contact the secretary if you need to submit a file that is too large for email.

Written descriptions: Some written details should always be provided even the best photos should be accompanied by the name of the observer, the date, and the
location, at a minimum. Sometimes a photo cant be obtained or vocalizations cant be recorded. In some cases, behaviors might be noted in the field that arent preserved well by photos. In these cases, it is helpful to submit a written description of the
bird. Ideally, this description should be written as soon after observing the bird as possible; it is often helpful to make written notes in the field, or even dictate notes into the voice recorder on your smartphone while observing the bird, from which you
can later generate a written description. The most important aspect of a written description is that you report only what you observed, and not
a general description of the bird from a field guide. At a minimum, your description should include the date and location
of the observation, and a
description of the bird (size and structure,
plumage, vocalizations, behavior). A brief discussion of how the bird was identified, and how
similar species were eliminated is also helpful. Other useful information you might report includes optics used, distance from bird, lighting or weather conditions, length of time viewed, and other
observers present.