Bird Records Committee

An independent committee that keeps track of Delaware's official state bird list.

Bird Records Committee

The Delaware Bird Records Committee is an independent committee charged with maintaining the Delaware State List of Bird Species (updated September 2018), which consists of all bird species accepted as having been observed in Delaware.

The committee also reviews documentation of extremely rare species. The committee requests documentation from observers to support the occurrence of these species in the state. These rare species are listed in boldface on the Delaware State List of Bird Species.

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. Please contact the Secretary for information about past records.

Submitting Rare Bird Reports

Everyone is encouraged to submit records of unusual sightings in Delaware to Anthony Gonzon, DBRC Secretary.

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 to Anthony by e-mail. 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.

Rare Bird Report Form

Recent Updates to the List

2021 Updates:

Black-chinned Hummingbird, Ancient Murrelet, and Bell’s Vireo were added to the Delaware Bird and Review Species Lists.
The species complex “Western Flycatcher" (Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher ) was also added to the list.

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.