Basically, any records that you have are valuable and should be sent in. However, their value can easily be enhanced by adding detailed information. All of the information required to submit a full and accurate record is available in our booklet: A Checklist of the Birds of Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands and Guide to Status and Record Submission.

This booklet is provided to all members or available from the Club Secretary: secretary@westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk

(Cover cost + P&P) .

Each year the Rarity Committees of the 4 counties consider which species require some form of confirmation when records are submitted – these are listed in the back of the Annual Report. The requirements for confirmation can change as species become commoner or rarer. In order to keep you better informed of changes to status, a list of species requiring confirmation can be downloaded as a PDF and this will be updated regularly.

Download list of Description Species

Not every description need be equally detailed, the amount of detail required being a function of the status of the species involved and the degree of difficulty in its identification. The golden rules are to: write your description on the spot; avoid preconceptions and record only what you see. An exhaustive description of an unfamiliar bird, however, should contain enough exact elements to ensure absolute proof of identity.

Never be put off from submitting your records, even if there is an element of doubt in your mind that your identification of a species may not be entirely correct. The County Recorders, together with their teams are available to assist in such matters. Always keep in mind that your records are of great importance in developing the understanding of the birds of our region.

It goes without saying, that records of rare breeding birds are important to submit, to contribute to the full Avifauna of the West Midland Bird Club Area. The safest way of doing this, is through the BTO Birdtrack Website All records of rare breeding birds are filtered out of the public viewing, relevant parts of the website.

Another appropriate way of submitting information, is direct to your relevant county recorders. Contact information can be found at the top of this page.

Thank you for reading this information, tell your fellow Birders about the details and enjoy your Birding!