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GCRC Current Activity

The GOS Checklist and Records Committee (GCRC) reviews approximately 40 rare bird reports of Georgia review species every year. Generally, after 12 -15 reports have accumulated, the Secretary will review and vote on each of the reports, then submit the group of reports to the rest of the Committee for review.  Each of the remaining five Committee members reviews the reports and votes independently during the first round.

A report is considered "Accepted" (i.e., becomes an official record) if it receives no more than one "non-accept" vote.

If a report receives two "non-accept" votes, it proceeds to a second round of voting with the comments of each of the Committee members (but no names associated with the comments) included with the report. If the second circulation of a report still results in two "non-accept" votes, the report is discussed among and voted by the Committee members as a group until a final decision is made.

A report is "Rejected" if three or more "non-accept" votes are cast.  Reports generally receive "non-accept" votes if details are lacking, if the observer misidentified the bird, if the origin is in question, or if the location is in question (for instance, bodies of waters along state lines).

The table below depicts the recent and future activity of the GCRC and is divided into five sections:

    • Completed Records: Reports for which the GCRC has reached a final decision

    • Current Round: Reports that are currently in circulation within the Committee.

    • Next Round: Reports to circulated after the current round voting process is completed.

    • Reports Received: Reports to be presented to the Committee during future rounds.

    • No Reports Received: Review species that have been gleaned from various sources but for which no documentation has been submitted.

Note: On 26 Jan 2013, the GOS Checklist & Records Committee (GCRC) met to discuss, among other items, the pelagic boundaries that are used for record keeping for Georgia's birdlife. The GCRC unanimously voted to adopt the  "Closest Point of Land" rule (CPOL), which has become the de facto standard for other nations, states, provinces and even counties when determining pelagic boundaries.

 

 

CURRENT ROUND (expected completion 30 December 2023)
GCRC Record No. Species Location County Initial Sighting Date Initial Sighting Obs. Report Author Ph? GCRC Result
2023-01A Tropical Kingbird Georgia Highlands College Floyd 9/8/2022 Matthew Middleton Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-01B Tropical Kingbird Georgia Highlands College Floyd 9/8/2022 Matthew Middleton Shawn Reed Y  
2023-02 Inca Dove Josuli Ranch Baker 9/4/2022 Wayne Schaffner Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-03 Common Merganser Carters Re-regulation Lake Murray 2/17/2022 Joshua Spence Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-04 Harris's Sparrow private residence Brantley 12/25/2022 Wayne Morgan Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-05 Snow Bunting Tybee I. Chatham 11/25/2022 Andrew Ruhs Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-06 White-faced Ibis Jack Miles Landing Seminole 3/6/2022 Bob Zaremba Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-07 Ruff Altamaha SWMA McIntosh 5/4/2022 Bob Zaremba Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-08 Bullock's Oriole private residence Lowndes < 1/22/2022 Linda Most Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-09 Burrowing Owl Three Notch Rd. Miller 10/11/2021 Wayne Schaffner Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-10 Northern Saw-whet Owl Mount Alto Rd. Floyd 1/2/2023 Shawn Reed, Chuck Saleeby Shawn Reed N  
2023-11 Long-tailed Jaeger Walter F George Dam Clay 11/2/2022 Bob Zaremba Bob Zaremba N  
2023-12 Brown Booby pelagic Glynn 8/27/2022 Eliot VanOtteren, et al Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-13 Brown Noddy pelagic Chatham 9/10-11/2022 Bob Zaremba, et. al. Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-14 Masked Booby pelagic Glynn 8/27/2022 Eliot VanOtteren, et al Bob Zaremba Y  

 

 

NEXT ROUND (to be released to GCRC after 30 Dec 2023)
GCRC Record # Species Location County Initial Sighting Date Initial Sighting Obs. Report Author Ph? GCRC Result
2023-15 Buff-bellied Hummingbird private residence Glynn 1/4/2022 Yve Morrell Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-16 Snowy Plover St. Simons I. Glynn 11/25/2022 Meredith Molnar Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-17 Hudsonian Godwit Andrews I. Glynn 10/8/2022 GOS Field Trip Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-18 Brown Booby pelagic Chatham 9/10-11/2022 Bob Zaremba, et. al. Bob Zaremba Y  
2023-19 Common Merganser Yonah Dam Stephens 1/12/2023 Jason Corder Dan Vickers Y  
2023-20 Smith's Longspur Andrews I. Glynn 2/5/2023 Richard Hall et. al. Richard Hall Y  
2023-21 Great Cormorant Augusta Canal Trail--Savannah Rapids Park Columbia 4/13/2022 John Patten Moss John Patten Moss Y  
2023-22 Black-legged Kittiwake Elijah Clark SP Lincoln 11/25/2022 Mac McCall, John Patten Moss John Patten Moss Y  
2023-23 Neotropic Cormorant Brickyard Ponds Richmond 12/30/2022 Mac McCall, Sam Murray Dan Vickers Y  
2023-24 Heermann's Gull Tybee I. Chatham 2/15/2021 Diana Churchill, Cindy Stevens Dan Vickers Y  
2023-25 Mute Swan Salem Rd. Catoosa 1/24/2015 David Hollie Dan Vickers Y  
2023-26 Cackling Goose US 278 Morgan 1/16/2021 Dan Vickers, Kris Bisgard Dan Vickers Y  
2023-27 Common Eider  Brunswick River Glynn 12/11/2020 Kevin Danchisen, Bob Zaremba, Eliot VanOtteren, Eugene Keferl, Mac McCall, Yve Morrell Eliot VanOtteren Y  

 

 

2023 REPORTS RECEIVED
GCRC Record # Species Location County Initial Sighting Date Initial Sighting Obs. Report Author Ph? GCRC Result
2023-28 Cave Swallow Jekyll I. Glynn 10/31/2021 Eliot VanOtteren, Dan Vickers, Kris Bisgard Dan Vickers Y  
2023-29 Cave Swallow Andrews I. Glynn 10/31/2021 Eliot VanOtteren Eliot VanOtteren Y  
2023-30 Brown Noddy pelagic Glynn 8/27/2022 Eliot VanOtteren, et al Eliot VanOtteren Y  
2023-31 Ash-throated Flycatcher St. Simons I. Glynn 12/12/2022 Eliot VanOtteren Eliot VanOtteren Y  
2023-32 American Tree Sparrow Andrews I. Glynn 12/19/2021 Eliot VanOtteren Eliot VanOtteren Y  
2023-33 Iceland Gull Cumberland I. Camden 4/15/2023 Patrick Leary Patrick Leary Y  
2023-34 Black-throated Gray Warbler Johns Mt. Overlook Walker 4/18/2023 Josh Spence Josh Spence N  
2023-35A Baird's Sparrow Garrard Landing Park Fulton 5/2/2023 Susan Berthelot Susan Berthelot Y  
2023-35B Baird's Sparrow Garrard Landing Park Fulton 5/2/2023 Susan Berthelot Rick Taylor Y  
2023-36 Snail Kite Flint River Decatur 5/9/2023 Marylyn Feaver Marylyn Feaver Y  
2023-37 Roseate Tern Jekyll I. Glynn 6/30/2023 Tibbett Speer Tibbett Speer Y  
2023-38 Common Merganser Chestatee River DUA Lumpkin 4/13/2023 Rusty Trump Rusty Trump Y  
2023-39 Bar-tailed Godwit Ogeechee Bar Chatham 10/31/2023 Tim Keyes/Sam Murray Tim Keyes Y  

 

 

 

 

2023 REPORTS REQUESTED
GCRC Record # Species Location County Initial Sighting Date Initial Sighting Obs. Report Author Ph?
  Common Merganser Yonah Dam Rd. Stephens 1/12/2023 Jason Corder   Y
  Trumpeter Swan Crawfish Springs Walker 1/15/2023 Rob McCoy   Y
  Ash-throated Flycatcher Standard Elevator Rd. Sumter 1/16/2023 Jim Flynn   Y
  Pacific Loon Shady Grove Park Forsyth 1/16/2023 Keegan Corcoran   Y
  Long-eared Owl Oxbow Meadows Muscogee 1/21/2023 Mason Jarrett et. al.   Y
  Snowy Plover Cumberland I. Camden 1/23/2023 Kathy Miller   N
  Common Merganser Yonah Lake Boat Ramp Habersham 1/28/2023 James White   Y
  Common Merganser Stanley Rapids Fannin 2/25/2023 Kelly Burke   Y
  Common Merganser Unicoi SP White 3/11/2023 Jane Seward   Y
  Fulvous Whistling-Duck Altamaha SWMA McIntosh 3/12/2023 Beau Brothers   Y
  Snowy Plover St. Simons I. Glynn 3/17/2023 Yve Morrell   Y
  Leach's Storm-Petrel Jekyll I. Glynn 4/13/2023 Yve Morrell   Y
  Leach's Storm-Petrel St. Simons I. Glynn 4/13/2023 Eliot VanOtteren   Y
  Common Merganser Harold Hefner River Park Gilmer 4/15/2023 Carol Payne   ?
  Common Merganser Coosawattee River Report Gilmer 4/22/2023 Sue Williams   Y
  Townsend's Warbler Norcross (private residence) Gwinnett 4/27/2023 Josiah Patrick   Y
  Arctic Tern pelagic Chatham 5/13/2023 Steve Calver   Y
  Sooty Shearwater pelagic Chatham 5/13/2023 Steve Calver   Y
  Common Merganser Chattooga River Rabun 5/29/2023 Gavin Allvine   N
  Snowy Plover Little St. Simons I. Glynn 6/6/2023 Keegan Rankin   Y
  Brown Booby pelagic Glynn 8/25/2023 Eliot VanOtteren et. al.   Y
  Masked Booby pelagic Glynn 8/25/2023 Eliot VanOtteren et. al.   Y
  Bell's Vireo St. Catherines I. Liberty 9/16/2023 Joel McNeal, Bob Sattelmeyer   Y
  Snowy Plover Cumberland I. Camden 9/17/2023 Alexander DeBear   N
  Bell's Vireo Murphey Candler Park DeKalb 9/17/2023 Todd Fibus   Y
  Brown Booby GA 87@US 280 Dodge 9/18/2023 Kaleb Hulette/Chris Screws   ?
  Brown Booby Savannah Chatham 9/19/2023 Garrett Hellman   ?
  Brown Booby pelagic McIntosh 9/22/2023 Brendan Murtha   Y
  Green-breasted Mango private residence Thomas 9/24/2023 Barbara Lee   Y
  Neotropic Cormorant EL Huie Clayton 10/14/2023 Paul Raney   Y
  Smooth-billed Ani Altamaha SWMA McIntosh 10/17/2023 David & Cheryl Hubbard   Y
  Ruff GA 23 pasture pond Burke 10/19/2023 John Skelton   Y
  Snowy Plover St. Simons I. Glynn 11/1/2023 Cheryl Parkes   Y