SUGGESTED CHANGES TO PEI BIRD CHECKLIST 
     
    
   
   
    
     - prepared by W.Cairns (April, 1981) 
     
    
   
   
    
     With the passage of time knowledge and information may change, 
     
     and so too may bird abundances and distributions. Even when it first 
     
     appeared in 1978, the P.E.I. Field Check—List of Birds (second 
     
     edition) was felt by some to contain some questionable species and 
     
     Status listings. Since then other candidates for addition, deletion 
     
     or status change have come to light. While she was at the University 
     
     of P.E.I. a number of these were compiled by Kathy Martin. Maritimes 
     
     Nest Record Scheme holdings (to 1979), the Avifaunal Survey of P.E.I. 
     
     National Park (1979), bird sightings printed in the P.E.I. Natural 
     
     History Society Newsletter and records filed with the P.E.I. Fish and 
     
     Wildlife Division are other sources of information. After checking 
     
     these sources and consulting with Rosemary Curley of the Fish and 
     
     Wildlife Division, I suggest the following tentative list of proposed 
     
     changes. (This list is not intended to include changes in species‘ 
     
     names, unless the species has also undergone a proposed change in 
     
     status.) Comments from readers would be most welcome. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The symbols and season dates are the same as those used in the 1978 
     
     P.E.I. Bird Check-List. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Spring March 16 — May 30 
     
    
   
   
    
     Summer June 1 — August 15 
     
     Autumn August 16 — December 14 
     
     Winter December 15 — March 15 
     
    
   
   
    
     VC - Very common, 50 or more birds per day 
     
    

    
     - Common, 10 - 49 birds per day 
     
    

    
     Fairly common, 1 — 9 birds per day 
     
    

    
     — Uncommon, 1 — 12 birds per fortnight 
     
    

    
     — Rare, 1 — 5 birds per season 
     
    

    
     - Occasional, seen only 1 — 9 times per decade 
     
     Accidental, 9 or fewer records per century 
     
    

    
     - Hypothetical, unconfirmed sighting 
     
    

    
     - Irregular 
     
    
   
   
    
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     Thanks is extended to everyone who contributed bird and 
     
     animal records to this month‘s newsletter: Lenore Andrew 
     
     (LA), Milly Birt (MB), Elizabeth Cairns (EMC), George 
     
     Cairns (GAC), Winifred Cairns (WEC), Earl Carmody (EWC), 
     
     Thelma Clark, Diana Clarke (DC), Frances Curley (FC), 
     
     Rosemary Curley (FRC), Beverley Dumville, Andrew Forsythe 
     
     (AF), A1 Godfrey (APG), Earle Hickey (EH), Geoff Hogan 
     
     (GH), Nelson Hurry (NGH), Winston Johnston (HWJ), Anne 
     
     Landry (AL), Doug Lee (DL), Alanagh MacDougall (AM), 
     
     Gerald MacDougall (GM), Gerard Buddy MacIntyre (GBM), 
     
     Margaret Mallett (MEM), Marguerite Wheatley (MWh), Mary 
     
     Willms (MWi), Carol Wright (CW), John Wright (JW), Peter 
     
     Wright (PW), Stan Vass (SEV). 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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