British birds list UPDATE

I put together a quick review of the state of play in British listing last April and it was quite interesting to do so I thought I'd have a quick review a year on and see where we now stand.

As of the June 30th 2016 the official BOU list now stand at 603 so in the year since no fewer than seven firsts for Britain have been accepted.

Firstly the Alder Flycatcher in Cornwall 2008 was accepted. (597)

Moltoni's Subalpine Warbler was officially split and accepted as a new species (598)

Northern Harrier accepted as an official split from Hen Harrier.  (599)

Yelkouan Shearwater was added as the official 600th species although the first record dates back to 2008 with one seen off Berry Head in Devon being the now accepted first for Britain. (600)

Azoean Yellow-legged Gull accepted from a record in Cornwall from 2008 (601)

Chinese Pond Heron from Hythe, Kent in 2014 (602)

Slaty Backed Gull at Rainham in 2011 (603)

Of these I connected only with the Pond Heron and the Slaty-backed Gull

visit   .bou.org.uk/british-list/    for more detail

Of these 603 species

585 sit in Category A
(Species in Category A have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once since 1 January 1950.)

8 sit in Category B
(Species in Category B have been recorded in an apparently natural state at least once between 1 January 1800 and 31 December 1949, but have not been recorded subsequently.)

Ruddy Shelduck last recorded in 1946
White-faced storm Petrel last recorded in 1897
Egyptian Vulture last recorded in 1868
Spotted Eagle last recorded in 1915
Eskimo Curlew last recorded in 1880
Great Auk last recorded in 1840
Pallas's Gull last recorded in 1859
Red-necked Nightjar last recorded in 1856

and

10 sit in Category C
(Species in Category C, although introduced, now derive from the resulting self-sustaining populations)

Ring-necked Parakeet First recorded in 1969 now over 8600 pairs in the UK
Little Owl First recorded in 1758 now over 5700 pairs in the UK
Golden Pheasant Introduced in the 1870's less than 100 pairs remain in the wild
Lady Amherst's Pheasant Introduced in Bedfordshire in 1890 less than five birds remain
Common Pheasant Introduced in medieval times with an estimated population over two million.
Capercaillie Re - introduced in 1837 less than 1300 birds remain in Britian
Red-legged Partridge Introduced in 1779 and now over 86,000 territories in the UK
Ruddy Duck First recorded in 1949 but due to constant culling less than 50 birds now survive.
Mandarin Duck First recorded in 1866 and now numbers over 7000 wintering birds
Egyptian Goose First recorded in 1898 and now numbers over 3000 wintering birds