Dutch Birding

20/08/2026

A new issue of Dutch Birding (48-4) is ready. The first paper, by Romuald Cisakowski, discusses the first record of Slaty-breasted Rail for Oman and the Western Palearctic. In the second paper, Ross Ahmed reviews the status of Russian Common Gull in the Western Palearctic based on contact with records committees, sighting databases search, ringing recoveries and photograph search. In the next article, Raymond Galea, Martin Collinson and Nigel Cleere describe the record of European Nightjar of the Asian subspecies plumipes in Malta in November 2024 – the first confirmed record of this taxon for Europe. Another three papers discuss the Dutch records of Southern Ring Ouzels (the first three records for the Netherlands), Black-faced Buntings (autumn-winter influx in 2025/26) and Western Swamphen (third record). The new issue also includes papers on the second Wahlberg’s Eagle for Mauritania, the first record of Paddyfield Pipit for Oman and the first Caucasian Mountain Chiffchaff for Kazakhstan. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports have the latest news and 60 photographs of rarities. Highly recommended!

More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal.

On the cover, Sociable Lapwings from Oman by René Pop.

19/06/2026

A new issue of Dutch Birding (48-3) is out and includes eight papers and two reports. In the first paper, Enno Ebels and Gert Ottens describe the first record of Spectacled Eider for the Netherlands – probably the most unexpected and most popular of all vagrants in the country to date. The second paper, by Marcin Faber and Anna Włodarczak-Komosińska give details about the telemetry case study of the annual cycle of Ring-billed Gull ‘Kajzerka’ in Europe and mixed breeding with Common Gull. In the third paper, Jeroen de Bruijn, Han Zevenhuizen, Bram Rijksen and Enno Ebels describe the first record of Eastern Red-rumped Swallow for the Netherlands. Next, Diederik Kok, Rutger Rotscheid and Enno Ebels discuss the second and third Caspian Stonechat for the Netherlands. Furthermore, Manuel Schweizer, Peter Zeller and Nicolas Martinez deal with the separation of Striolated Bunting and Cinnamon-breasted Bunting in southern Arabia. The new issue also includes notes on the second Pacific Loon for the Netherlands, the first Ashy Drongo for Saudi Arabia and the third Blue Rock Thrush for the Netherlands. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports have the latest news with over 40 photographs of rarities. Highly recommended! More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal.
On the cover, an Eastern Orphean Warbler from Le**os by Jos van den Berg.

19/04/2026

A new issue of Dutch Birding (48-2) is out now, and as always, the content is varied. In the first paper, Justin Jansen, Enno Ebels and Gert-Jan van Veen give details about the first record of Allen’s Gallinule for the Netherlands. The second paper, by Enno Ebels, Herman Feenstra and Mark Hoekstein describe the second and third record of Sandhill Crane for the Netherlands. Another article, by Mariano Martínez, deals with the identification of second-cycle Azores Gull in autumn. This paper, with over 60 photographs, describes the plumage variability in second autumn (September to mid-December). Next, Peter Alfrey, Vincent Legrand and Julien Hainaut describe the first record of Lesser Striped Swallow for Kuwait and the Western Palearctic ‘sensu BWP’. Furthermore, Manuel Schweizer and Jochen Dierschke discuss the controversial female-type ‘black-eared wheatear’ from Helgoland in October 2002, at the time eventually considered to be an Eastern Black-eared Wheatear but now identified as a Western Black-eared Wheatear based on DNA, and deal with the identification of autumn female-type ‘black-eared wheatear’. The new issue also includes notes on the breeding attempt of Tawny Eagle in Algeria and recent increase of records in this country and the first record of Brahminy Kite for Kazakhstan and the WP ‘sensu BWP’. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports have the latest news and many photographs of rarities.

Highly recommended!

More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal.

On the cover, the Güldenstädt’s Redstart from Kazbegi, Georgia, by René van Rossum.

17/02/2026

The first issue of volume 48 of Dutch Birding is out now and includes papers on the first Canvasback for the Netherlands, the first and second record of Red-wattled Lapwing for the Netherlands, a presumed Lesser Black-backed x Ring-billed Gull hybrid in Spain in 2008-24 (and its separation from California Gull), range expansion and current distribution of Blyth’s Reed Warbler and the first Hooded Vulture for Tunisia. The new issue also includes the regular paper on the revised names and new taxonomic treatments in Dutch Birding for some WP taxa. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports have the latest news from the winter period with a few dozen photographs of rarities. Highly recommended! More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal.

18/12/2025

A new issue of Dutch Birding (47-6) is now ready! The last issue of the year presents the report by the Dutch rarities committee (CDNA) on rare birds in the Netherlands in 2024, with four new species added to the Dutch list (Canvasback, Allen’s Gallinule, Dark­sided Flycatcher and Pechora Pipit). In the second paper, Gregory Askew and Enno Ebels discuss the separation of Yellow-billed Egret and Medium Egret in Arabia. Is it a mission impossible? Check the text! Furthermore, Paul Coiffard and Sylvain Reyt describe the identification of Long-tailed, Parasitic and Pomarine Jaeger by nostril position. The new issue also includes notes on three new species for Kazakhstan (Black-winged Kite, Green Warbler and Arctic Warbler) and the first Baikal Teal for Iraq. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports keep you posted about a hot autumn in the WP and the Netherlands, with more than 70 photographs. Highly recommended! More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal.
On the cover a Rüppell’s Vulture by Jos van den Berg.

11/11/2025

The first WP (Western Palearctic) rarities report is now online!

Enjoy😀

We are planning to start releasing a monthly recap of rare bird record from accross the Western Palearctic, beginning this month. This is our first attempt, titled Dutch Birding Western Palearctic Rarities Recap for October 2025. Let's go!

23/10/2025

A new issue of Dutch Birding (47-5) is out now! The first paper, by Magnus Robb & The Sound Approach describes the first record of Semipalmated Plover for Portugal and the Western Palearctic discovered by its sounds and further deals with the song identification of this species in the WP. This paper, with 19 sonagrams, discusses in detail the song ID, especially useful in a vagrancy context to Europe. In the second paper, Paul Doniol-Valcroze and co-authors discuss the first records of Prothonotary Warbler and Warbling Vireo for the Azores and the WP. In the next article, Sebastian Kiepsch and co-authors describe the first records of Crimson-rumped Waxbill (probably a breeding population) for Egypt and the WP. Another paper, by Patrick Bergier and co-authors, gives details about the first documented breeding records of Sudan Golden Sparrow for Morocco. In the section 'Trends in systematics', Jean-Marc Pons and his colleagues review new insights into the systematics of European Green, White-backed and Middle Spotted Woodpecker based on recently genetic studies of these three species complexes. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports have the latest news and 45 photographs of rarities. The short overview of new bird species described in 2024 finalise the new issue. On the cover a Buff-breasted Wheatear from Saudi Arabia by René Pop. Highly recommended! More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal.

20/10/2025

Met de vondst van een Giervalk op zaterdag zette het 'team Hors' zichzelf op plek 1 voor het winnen van de prijs voor de Soort van het Weekend. Het werd nog even spannend toen Rik Wessels op zondagmiddag een Steppeklapekster ontdekte! De jury moest toen nog even de boeken in duiken om de spelregels goed te checken en die wezen toch de Horsers aan als winnaars.

Ezra IJzelenberg was samen met Vincent Stork de eerste die de vogel opmerkte en werd gekozen als uitverkorene om de prijs te mogen ontvangen. Hij wint een SWAROVSKI Curio 7x21 (t.w.v. €729,-!), gesponsord door Swarovski en het Vogelinformatiecentrum Texel voor het vinden van de beste soort van het weekend.
Hartelijk gefeliciteerd en bedankt namens al die genoten hebben van de Giervalk!

Daarnaast won Tim Langerak op zaterdagavond de Najaarsweekend Mystery Bird Quiz, gehost door Koen Stork, na een spannende finale met Tim Schipper en mocht daarom een Bynolyt TX 10x42 van het Vogelinformatiecentrum in ontvangst nemen (t.w.v. €449,-!), ook gesponsord door het Vogelinformatiecentrum.

Dank aan iedereen die er die er afgelopen weekend was. Volgend jaar weer een Mystery Bird Quiz en natuurlijk een prijs voor de Soort van het Weekend; we zullen zo spoedig mogelijk de data voor 2026 publiceren op de website: https://www.dutchbirding.nl/agenda/334/agenda.

21/08/2025

A new issue of Dutch Birding (47-4) is out now, and as always, the content is varied. The first paper, by Sven Valkenburg and Enno Ebels, describes the first record of Pacific Loon for the Netherlands. In the second paper, Peter de Vries and Christopher König, discuss the occurrence of Sandhill Cranes in Europe. In the next article, Stanislas Wroza deals with the acoustic identification of Eyebrowed Thrush and Black­throated Thrush in a Western Palearctic vagrant context. Jörn Lehmhus describes a presumed Northern Shoveler x Falcated Duck hybrid of unknown origin in the Netherlands. The new issue also includes two notes on a new species for Iran: Eastern Spot-billed Duck (also a new species for the WP) and Grey-bellied Cuckoo. In a letter to the editor, Dominic Mitchell replies to an earlier paper in Dutch Birding this year on the occurrence of Tibetan Sand Plover and Siberian Sand Plover in the WP, giving a few additional records and comments. Finally, the first successful breeding records of Goosander for the Netherlands are documented. The regular WP reports and recent Dutch reports have the latest news and over 60 photographs of rarities. On the cover a Pallas’s Sandgrouse from Kazakhstan by René Pop. Highly recommended! More at: www.dutchbirding.nl/journal