The New York State Avian Records Committee is delighted to announce the opening of a new section within the NYSARC web site that will list all of the submissions we have received since our inception in 1974.

The new pages are primarily the work of Jeanne Skelly and Carena Pooth. Some 1300 submissions are listed and we still need to add those involving species that are not officially on the New York State Checklist. You can download a PDF summary of all submissions or view individual species by clicking on the appropriate links. Additional links will take you from an individual sighting to the relevant annual report that discusses it in more detail. It is worth reminding everyone that the entire set of NYSARC Annual Reports are now on-line and are a very useful source of reference.

The sharp-eyed will quickly notice that there are a few gaps in many of the species entries. Almost invariably these are sightings that were for one reason or another not submitted to us by anyone! We need to stress that posting your sighting on the Internet or sending word to an RBA compiler or regional editor does not ensure acceptance into the permanent record. For any reportable rarity, you must always file a written report (even if you are sending photos or a specimen) with Jeanne Skelly, the Secretary of NYSARC.

If you can help fill any of these gaps please get in touch with Jeanne. In the same vein, your feedback on the new pages (corrections, suggestions for new content and so on) is very much appreciated. We gratefully acknowledge the continued support of our parent body, the New York State Ornithological Association (NYSOA) and all of its members.

Good Birding!