Donate

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 (due 15 June 2023)
GCRC Record No. Species Location County Initial Sighting Date Initial Sighting Obs. Report Author Ph? GCRC Result
2021-14 Snowy Plover Cumberland I. Camden 9/27/2021 Doris and Pat Leary  Doris and Pat Leary  Y  
2021-15 Rock Wren Unicoi SP White 10/24/2021 Steve Patterson Steve Patterson Y  
2021-16 Pacific Loon Clarks Hill Lake Lincoln/Columbia 12/23/2021 Aaron Boone Aaron Boone Y  
2022-01 Fork-tailed Flycatcher Ft. PulaskiNM Chatham 10/5/2021 Randy Tate Randy Tate Y  
2022-02 Pacific Loon Lake Lanier Forsyth/Hall 1/9/2022 Keegan Corcoran Keegan Corcoran Y  
2022-03 Common Merganser Carters Lake Murray 2/17/2022 Joshua Spence Joshua Spence N  
2022-04A Atlantic Puffin pelagic N/A 2/27/2022 Rusty Trump, Bob Zaremba, et. al. Rusty Trump Y  
2022-04B Atlantic Puffin pelagic N/A 2/27/2022 Rusty Trump, Bob Zaremba, et. al. Bob Zaremba Y  
2022-05 Black-legged Kittiwake Lake Lanier Hall 1/28/2022 Keegan Corcoran Keegan Corcoran Y  
2022-06A Bell's Vireo private residence Clarke 8/17/2022 Richard Hall Richard Hall Y  
2022-06B Bell's Vireo private residence Clarke 8/17/2022 Richard Hall Bob Zaremba Y  
2022-07 Long-tailed Jaeger Lake Lanier Forsyth/Hall 9/4/2022 Keegan Corcoran Keegan Corcoran Y  
2022-09 Brant Turkey Pond Burke 11/12/2017 Liam Wolff Liam Wolff Y  

 

NEXT ROUND (to be released to GCRC after 15 Jun 2023)
GCRC Record # 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  

 

 

 

2023 REPORTS RECEIVED
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  
2023-28 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  

 

 

2022 REPORTS REQUESTED
GCRC Record # Species Location County Initial Sighting Date Initial Sighting Obs. Report Author Ph?
  Ash-throated Flycatcher Standard Elevator Rd. Sumter 1/15/2022 Shannon Fair, Iris Schumacher   Y
  Common Merganser Chattooga River Rabun 2/19/2022 Jason Love   N
  Bullock's Oriole private residence Lowndes 2/19/2022 Brad Bergstrom   Y
  Common Merganser Nottley River Union 3/21/2022 Brett Albanese   N
  Snowy Plover Cumberland I. Camden 4/2/2022 Fletcher Smith   Y
  Common Merganser West Fork Chattooga River Rabun 4/6/2022 Kristina Macaulay   Y
  White-faced Ibis Jumping Gully Pond Lowndes 5/14/2022 Marvin Smith   Y
  Snowy Plover Saint Simons I. Glynn 5/21/2022 Yve Morrell   Y
  White-faced Ibis Wilsontown Rd. Decatur 5/22/2022 Wayne Schaffner   Y
  White-faced Ibis Okapilco Cr. Floodplain Brooks 6/9/2022 Deborah Grimes   Y
  Common Merganser Stanley Rapids Fannin 6/29/2022 Suzanne Zuckerman   Y
  Trumpeter Swan CCWA Panhandle Road Wetlands Clayton 7/14/2022 CCWA employee fide Charlie Muise   Y
  American Flamingo F J Torras Causeway Glynn 9/25/2022 Elizabeth Bartlett   Y
  Snowy Plover Cumberland I. Camden 10/8/2022 Blair Clark, Elizabeth Clark   Y
  Townsend's Warbler Jekyll I. Glynn 10/8/2022 Kevin McGowan   Y
  Fork-tailed Flycatcher private residence Calhoun 10/19/2022 user dshunter   Y
  Ash-throated Flycatcher Jekyll I. Glynn 10/27/2022 Evan Pitman, et al   Y
  Northern Saw-whet Owl private residence Lamar 11/13/2022 Charlie Muise   Y
  Harlequin Duck Lake Lanier Gwinnett 11/19/2022 Michael Postell   N
  Snowy Plover Cumberland I. Camden 11/19/2022 Sam Murray, Hale Barrett   Y
  Common Merganser Blue Ridge Marina Fannin 11/20/2022 Brian Lupa   Y
  Cave Swallow Jekyll I. Glynn 11/20/2022 Yve Morrell   Y
  Shiny Cowbird private residence Bryan 11/25/2022 Janice Clement   N
  Northern Saw-whet Owl private residence Lamar 11/28/2022 Charlie Muise, Tracey Muise   ?
  Northern Saw-whet Owl private residence Lamar 11/30/2022 Charlie Muise, Tracey Muise   Y
  Snow Bunting Mistletoe SP Columbia 12/2/2022 Bill Gooch   N
  Snow Bunting Hogpen Gap Trailhead Union 12/6/2022 Adair Bock fide Andrew Theus   Y
               
  Pacific Loon Lake Eufaula Quitman 12/15/2022 Geoff Hill   N
  Crested Caracara Rossville Rd. McIntosh 12/17/2022 Clay Fordham   Y
  Glaucous Gull Lake Lanier Forsyth/Hall 12/26/2022 Rusty Trump   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 Chestatee River DUA Lumpkin 4/13/2023 Rusty Trump   Y
  Common Merganser Harold Hefner River Park Gilmer 4/15/2023 Carol Payne   ?