GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN DESCRIPTIONS
     TO THE CALIFORNIA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE (CBRC).

• Please email all documentation including photos and written descriptions to secretary@californiabirds.org
• We encourage you to become a member of Western Field Ornithologists which includes a subscription to Western Birds where our annual reports are published.
• Report only species which are on the CBRC review list or which are new to California.

All reports MUST include the species, location, date of the observation, and the name of the observer. In addition to the above, the most important additional information you should include is a detailed description of the bird seen (not what it should look like), comparing the bird in question to similar species. Include the viewing conditions at the time of the observation. For more information on documenting and reporting rarities, click here.

An optional fill-in-the-blank form is available for submitting your sightings electronically. Download it here.

Additional Resources

How to Document Rare Birds - Donna L. Dittmann and Greg W. Lasley
How to Write Convincing Details - Mike Patterson
Photo Documentation Guidlines - Phil Davis for the Maryland/DC Records Committee