Bird Records Committee
The Delaware Bird Records Committee is an independent committee charged with maintaining the official Delaware State List of Bird Species, which consists of all bird species that have been accepted as having occurred in Delaware. The committee reviews any reports of species that would be new to this list.
The committee also reviews documentation of extremely rare species that they have designated as Review Species. These Review Species are listed in boldface on the Delaware State List of Bird Species. The committee requests documentation from observers to support the occurrence of these species in the state.
The Delaware Bird Records Committee is comprised of five reviewers, a President, and a Secretary (either officer may also be a reviewer). Each reviewer serves for five years and must take a 1-year break before returning to the committee as a reviewer. The committee votes to elect officers and new review members. A member of the committee serves on the Delaware Ornithological Society Council and current lists and reports are hosted on the DOS web page. Paper and photographic material from all records are housed at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Electronic copies are housed on a cloud-based storage service. Please contact the Secretary for information about past records.
Submitting Rare Bird Reports
Everyone is encouraged to submit reports of Review Species or any potential first Delaware records to the DBRC. Reports are encouraged from any one who observes one of this species, even if they just chased a bird that someone else found. The more documentation of these species the committee receives, the better.
The easiest way to do this is to use the online Rare Bird Report form by clicking the button below. Alternatively, you can send reports by email by clicking here. Good quality photographs, sound recordings and detailed descriptions with any sketches, no matter how basic, are important for documenting rare state birds, particularly for difficult to identify species.
Recent Updates to the List
February 2023 Updates:
- Townsend's Solitaire was added to the Delaware State list and the Review Species List
- Eared Grebe, Northern Goshawk, Common Raven, Bicknell's Thrush and Evening Grosbeak were removed for the Review Species List
2021 Updates:
- Black-chinned Hummingbird, Ancient Murrelet, Western Flycatcher and Bell’s Vireo were added to the Delaware Bird and Review Species Lists.
2020 Updates:
- Neotropic Cormorant has been accepted by the DBRC and added to the Delaware Bird and Review Species Lists.
- Two species have been removed from the Delaware Review Species List: Black-bellied Whistling Duck and Painted Bunting.
Committee Members
- Chris Bennett
- Anthony Gonzon
- John Janowski
- Bruce Peterjohn (President)
- Tom Stock
Bruce Peterjohn, President
Secretary, Vacant
Downloadable Summary of Reviews of All Records
NOTE: These are several years out of date so they are useful for past records but not current ones. Updated summaries are being prepared and will be posted when they become available