2005 in birding and ornithology

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The year 2005 in birding and ornithology.

Worldwide

New species

See Bird species new to science described in the 2000s.

Rediscoveries

In April, an announcement is made that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has been rediscovered in North America; in July, doubt is cast on this claim. The debate remains unresolved.

Extinctions

The Thick-billed Ground-dove ("Gallicolumba salamonis"), last seen in 1927, is officially declared extinct.

Taxonomic developments

* The British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee announce that they have adopted the following species split:
** Common Scoter and Black Scoter
** Velvet Scoter and White-winged Scoter
** Greater Canada Goose and Lesser Canada Goose
** Yellow-legged Gull (split from Herring Gull)

Ornithologists

Deaths

* 3 February - Ernst Mayr (b. 1904)
* 25 February - Tony Norris (b. 1917)
* 9 June - Dr James F. Clements (b. 1927)
* 3 September - Richard S.R. Fitter (b.1913)

World listing

* American Peter Kaestner becomes the fourth person ever to see over 8000 species of bird alive.

Europe

Britain

Breeding birds

* A pair of European Bee-eaters makes a nesting attempt in Herefordshire - see Bee-eaters in Britain

Migrant and wintering birds

* The first part of the year sees a large influx of Waxwings into southern England.

Rare birds

* Britain's third Belted Kingfisher was found on 1 April in Staffordshire, and was later seen briefly in east Yorkshire, then in Northeast Scotland; the last was in 1980.
* Britain's second Barrow's Goldeneye was found in May in Northeast Scotland.
* Britain's second Audouin's Gull was seen briefly at Spurn, east Yorkshire on 1st June.
* An influx of Trumpeter Finches in Kent and Suffolk in the spring are the first of this species to be seen in Britain since the early 1990s.
* A Sooty Tern visited the Anglesey tern colonies in North Wales in July - the first ever in Britain to be seen by large numbers of birders.
* A Yellow Warbler on Unst, Shetland in September is Britain's fifth.
* A Siberian Rubythroat on Fair Isle, Shetland in October is also Britain's fifth.
* Britain's first Magnificent Frigatebird is found moribund in Whitchurch, Shropshire following Hurricane Wilma, and dies in care at Chester Zoo
* Britain's fifth Green Heron is found on Anglesey in November
* Hurricane Wilma also brought an unprecedented influx of Laughing Gulls to Britain during November

Other Events

* The British Birdwatching Fair has Burma as its theme for the year.

Ireland

Rare birds

* Ireland's first Green Heron is found in County Cork in October
* Ireland's first Barrow's Goldeneye is found at Quoile Pondage in County Down in November