South Carolina Bird Records Committee Annual Reports
Capsule summaries of changes since the reconstitution of the records committee in 1991; click the year number for each complete report.
A caution about reading this summary. The years listed are the years in which the records committee made a decision about a record. In some cases the record is from a previous year, sometimes many years prior.
- 2022
Accepted to Definitive list: Slaty-backed Gull.
bringing the total to 449 species.
- 2021
Accepted to Definitive list: Heermann's Gull, Bar-tailed Godwit, Broad-tailed Hummingbird.
A reorganization of SC's Provisional II and Hypothetical lists into one Supplemental List occurred in 2021. Species categorized as hypothetical, not established, or questionable origin are now designated as such within the new Supplemental List.
bringing the total to 448 species.
- 2020
Accepted to Definitive list: Little Stint, Short-tailed Hawk, Sage Thrasher, Bronzed Cowbird, Townsend's Warbler.
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive: Townsend's Solitaire.
The Main List now includes 445 species.
- 2019
Promoted from Provisional II to Definitive: Trumpeter Swan.
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive: Rough-legged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Roseate Tern.
The Main List now includes 440 species.
- 2018
Accepted to Definitive list: Tufted Duck, Tropical Kingbird.
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive: Say's Phoebe.
Tropical/Couch's Kingbird will be dropped from the Hypothetical List.
The Main List now includes 439 species.
- 2017
Accepted to Definitive list: Great Kiskadee, Black-whiskered Vireo, White-faced Ibis, South Polar Skua (replacing Skua sp.), and American Flamingo.
Thayer's Gull was removed from the Main List after the American Ornithological Society determined that it was a subspecies of Iceland Gull.
The Main List now includes 437 species.
- 2016
Accepted to Definitive list: Yellow-green Vireo.
The Main Species list currently stands at 434 species.
- 2015
Accepted to Definitive list: Trindade Petrel, Thayer's Gull, Scott's Oriole.
The Main Species list currently stands at 433 species.
- 2014
Accepted to Definitive list: Fea's Petrel, Crested Caracara.
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive: Harlequin Duck, Little Gull, Alder Flycatcher.
Barolo Shearwater (formerly appearing on the state list as Little Shearwater) was removed from the list as the specimen on which the record was based proved to be a misidentified Audubon's Shearwater.
The Main Species list is thus brought to 430 species.
- 2013
Accepted to Definitive list: MacGillivray's Warbler, Anna's Hummingbird.
bringing the state's list to 429 species.
- 2012
Carolina's Main Species List continues to stand at 427 species.
- 2011
Promoted from Hypothetical to Definitive list: Ash-throated Flycatcher.
Promoted from Hypothetical to Provisional I list: Alder Flycatcher.
South Carolina's Main List now stands at 427 species, not including those 16 birds categorized as Provisional II species and 12 others classified as Hypothetical.
- 2010
Accepted to Definitive list: California Gull.
The current state list stands at 455 species, with 16 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species.
- 2009
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive list: Pacific Loon, Long-tailed Jaeger.
The current state list stands at 454 species, including 16 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species.
- 2008
Accepted to Definitive list: Snail Kite, Mountain Plover.
Accepted to Provisional II list: European Goldfinch.
The current state list stands at 454 species, with 16 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species.
- 2007
Accepted to Definitive list: Allen's Hummingbird.
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive list: Northern Goshawk, Common Murre.
The current state list stands at 451 species, including 15 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species.
- 2006
The current state list stands at 449 species, with 15 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species.
- 2005
The current state list stands at 449 species, with 15 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species. (There is a suggestion that Skua sp. may have been removed, possibly accounting for the decrease in species.)
- 2004
Accepted to Definitive list: Cackling Goose.
Accepted to Hypothetical list: Black-billed Magpie
Promoted from Provisional I to Definitive list: Arctic Tern.
Promoted from Provisional II to Definitive list: Mute Swan.
The current state list stands at 450 species, including 15 Provisional II species and 14 Hypothetical species.
- 2003
Accepted to Definitive list: Buff-bellied Hummingbird.
The current State List stands at 448 species, including 16 Provisional II species and 13 Hypothetical species.
- 2002
Accepted to Provisional I list: Red-necked Stint.
The current State List stands at 447 species, including 16 Provisional II species and 13 Hypothetical species.
- 2000–2001
Accepted to Definitive list: Spotted Towhee, White-winged Tern, Calliope Hummingbird.
Accepted to Provisional II list: Trumpeter Swan (questionable origin).
- 1997—1999
Accepted to Definitive list: White Wagtail, Northern Fulmar
- 1996
Accepted to Definitive list: Red-billed Tropicbird, Ross's Goose, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Cave Swallow, White-winged Crossbill.
Accepted to Provisional I list: Northern Fulmar, Northern Goshawk, Roseate Tern,
Accepted to Provisional I list based on existing records: Mute Swan.
Downgraded to Hypothetical: Ash-throated Flycatcher.
Added to Definitive list due to taxonomic splits: Bicknell's Thrush, Eastern Towhee, Salt-marsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, and Bullock's Oriole. Rufous-sided Towhee, Sharp-Tailed Sparrow and Northern Oriole are deleted.
With all these changes, the SC list now stands at 412 species + 1 genus (Catharacta) and 1 SSP. Of these, 21 (and the SSP) are on the provisional list.
- 1995
Accepted to Definitive list: Marbled Murrelet.
Accepted to Provisional list: Common Murre, Townsend's Solitaire; also subspecies Audubon's Warbler.
The list now stands at 401 species + one genus, of which 17 species are on the provisional list. Eight species were transferred from Definitive to Provisional due to new definitions.
- 1994
Accepted to Definitive list: Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Catharacta sp., Little Gull, Eurasian Collared-Dove, Varied Thrush.
Accepted to Provisional list: Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Golden-crowned Sparrow
The list now stands at 399.
- 1993
Accepted to Definitive list: Manx Shearwater, Band-tailed Pigeon, Snowy Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Black Guillemot
Accepted to Provisional list: Arctic Tern, Pacific Loon, Blue-throated Hummingbird
- 1992
Accepted to Definitive list: Warbling Vireo, Western Tanager
Accepted to Provisional list: Curlew Sandpiper
- 1991
Definitive list of 367 species.