Hi again:

Someone asked me about Bridled Terns, so I thought I'd reply to the list  ...

The most common displaced seabird during/after hurricanes is probably 
the Sooty Tern. In fact, they have become so "regular" after 
hurricanes, the MD/DC Records Committee removed them altogether from 
the MD review list a number of years ago. So, no documentation is 
sought, nor needed, for Sooty Terns, at least for the records 
committee, if seen anywhere in MD. I don't know if eBird will want 
descriptions on them or not.

Bridled Terns, however, are in review category 4A, meaning they are 
reviewable by the records committee if seen in places other than 
coastal Worcester County or over the ocean. So, any inland Bridled 
Tern is reviewable. It will be important, therefore, in any Bridled 
Tern report to provide descriptive details and indicate how similar 
species, specifically the closely related Sooty Tern, were 
eliminated. So, this would be a good time to bone-up on the 
similarities and differences between these two tropical tern species.

The elimination of similar species is another important documentation 
tip, that I should have included in my previous email. This is an 
important part of a documented report ... how were similar species 
eliminated from consideration? ... and this question really needs to 
be applied with macro-vision, considering extralimital species. For 
example, any local report of a Magnificent Frigatebird, the expected 
species in our region, really needs to address how the much less 
likely Greater and even Lesser Frigatebirds were eliminated. There 
are Continental US records of both species. Without elimination of 
these other similar species, a submitted Magnificent Frigatebird 
report could end up being accepted as the more general "Frigatebird, species."

I will try to follow up with a summary of the review criteria for 
other seabird species that might be expected.

Phil


===================================================
Phil Davis, Secretary
MD/DC Records Committee
2549 Vale Court
Davidsonville, Maryland  21035     USA
301-261-0184
mailto:[log in to unmask]

MD/DCRC Web site:  http://www.MDBirds.org/mddcrc/rcindex.html
===================================================

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