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Victorian Bird Report
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The Victorian Bird Report (VBR) is a listing of significant sightings of birds seen in Victoria over a calendar year. Presented in taxonomic order, it is a fascinating record of what was new (e.g., new species for Victoria), what different (e.g. variations in numbers or distribution) together with more routine sightings (such as arrival and departure dates of migrants and breeding records of significant species). It provides a useful place for publication of interesting personal records not published in more formal journals and helps build a resource supporting the scientific basis for bird conservation.
The VBR was first published by BOCA between 1981 and 1987 but then lapsed until 2001. In that year, a joint publication by BOCA and Birds Australia was initiated under the editorship of Stuart Cooney. VBRs for 2001 & 2002 have now been published: 2003-4 is now in preparation. Limited numbers of the VBR are for sale in the Blue Wren Gift Shop or can be consulted in the BOCA Library.
Records for the VBR can be submitted on the Report a sighting form.
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Foreword to 2001 and 2002 Victorian Bird Report
One of the (very many) great things about birding is the important use that can be made of the information that we collect on our otherwise largely self-indulgent pursuit of things feathered. The records of volunteer birders make a substantial contribution to projects such as HANZAB (The Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds) and the various bird and wildlife atlases. Of course, volunteer birders also make donations to these projects and purchase the books that are published as a result - a sort of self-propagating feedback loop that ultimately increases both the scientific basis and the public support for the all-important bird conservation effort. Sometimes, however, these crucial links between individual birders and the major projects can be shaky, particularly in more isolated areas where the need is perhaps greatest. This is where the Victorian Bird Report (VBR) plays an important role -
encouraging birders by pulling together their records and presenting them in a form accessible to all. I'm sure I'm not the only one who rips open the latest edition as soon as it arrives and sits up in bed savouring all the events of the birding year: "Wow, that's unusual", or "I wish I'd known about that!", and of course, reminiscing with your own records "Ah, yes, wasn't that a great bird", or "Wouldn't I love to see another one of those!"
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It seems like only yesterday that Stuart Cooney first appeared on the Victorian birding scene, but in only a few years he has had a stint on the Birds Australia VicGroup committee, played an active role at the bird hide at Edithvale wetland, setup Birdline Victoria to provide up-to-the-minute reporting of bird records on the internet, and reinvigorated and revamped the VBR. Improvements to the VBR include comprehensive inclusion of noteworthy records from the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife, latest conservation status, and prompt publication.
Thank you to all observers who contributed records for these Bird Reports and to the Atlas of Victorian Wildlife, and especially to those who went to the trouble of providing data and summaries from their projects or regular surveys. Of course, the greatest thanks and congratulations must go to Stuart for taking the initiative - and then the time, effort and grief - to put the Reports together. It's a difficult job to get the VBR up and running again after a lapse of several years, but the Reports are always essential and convenient (and now timely) information sources for anyone seeking to understand the distribution and occurrence of Victoria's avifauna. Viva la VBR!
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