This bird list is an up-to-date version of the GBC list for the United Kingdom.  That’s a listing of all the bird species seen or heard at a GBC event according to the rules below. We’re in the process of compiling a list of species seen in the whole world on GBC events, at the last count, that stood at 1256 species, based on our UK list and trips to Majorca, USA, Australia, Switzerland, Costa Rica, France, India and Gambia, and that’s not all the coutries we’ve visited either.

The UK GBC list stood at 311 species on 1 January 2004.

While some people find bird lists boring / geeky / competitive etc. we keep a GBC list to help new and prospective members get a feel for some of the bird species they might see on a GBC event. It is also worth recognising that prior to the Club's inception in 1994, the chance of four or more gay or lesbian birders getting together to see any birds in the U.K. was virtually nil.

The rules: a bird has to be seen or heard on a GBC event, advertised in the GBC Calendar or in Out Birding.  It must be recorded by at least four Club members, unless fewer than four attend.  In this case, so long as there are at least two members present, all members must see or hear the bird.  The list only includes species seen at the advertised site(s). 

Species with links are ‘British Birds Rarities” - follow the links to find out more details of the sighting.

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Details of British Birds Rarities seen by the GBC:

British Birds Rarities are species which appear in the annual publication of the British Birds Rarities Commitee.

Pied-billed Grebe - 20 March 1999 in North Norfolk - more details of this sighting would be very welcome.

Wilson's Storm-petrel - 20 Aug 2000 in the South West Approaches during a Scillonian pelagic trip

Great Egret - 30 Sep 2000 at Minsmere, Suffolk

Glossy Ibis - 6 October 2002 at Bowling Green Marsh in Devon

Lesser White-fronted Goose - 25 Feb 1996 at Slimbridge WWT in Gloucestershire

American Black Duck - 12 Aug 2000 at Stithians Reservoir in Cornwall

Redhead - 22 Feb 1997 at Rutland Water in Leicestershire

Canvasback - 28 Sep 1996 at Abberton Reservoir, Essex

Ferruginous Duck - 03 Feb 2001 at Minsmere, Suffolk

King Eider - 25 May 1997 then subsequent sightings of “Elvis” the long-staying drake on the Ythan Estuary, Aberdeenshire and also a female (Queen Eider) off Leven in Fife.

Black Kite - 11 Aug 1999 at Sancreed in Cornwall.  We self-found this one, although as it turned out, there were other independent sightings of this bird in the general area.

Pallid Harrier - 28 Dec 2002 at Warham.  This was a long-staying juvenile.

Red-footed Falcon - 31 May 1997 at Minsmere, Suffolk and another one on 13 July 2002 at XXXX in XXXX.

Baillon's Crake - 26 Jun 1999 at Stodmarsh, Kent.

Black-winged Stilt - 03 Jun 1995 at Titchwell, Norfolk, then lots of subsequent sightings of “Sammy” just about every time we’ve visited this reserve.

White-rumped Sandpiper - 21 Sep 2000 at Slains pools, Aberdeenshire. This one was a self-find for the GBC and prompted a local twitch. Incredibly, we found ourselves involved in the identification of a different bird the following day at another site nearby.

Long-billed Dowitcher - 09 Mar 1997 at Druridge, Northumberland

Laughing Gull - 09 May 1998 at Titchwell, Norfolk

Franklin's Gull - 09 May 1998 at Titchwell, Norfolk.  That’s right, both of these American gulls at the same place in one day. We’ve seen another Franklin’s gull since.

Caspian Tern - 08 June 1996 at Minsmere, Suffolk

White-winged Tern - 06 Jun 1997 at Holkham, Norfolk

Common Nighthawk - 22 Sep 1999 at St. Agnes in the Isles of Scilly

Lanceolated Warbler - 23 Sep 2001 on Fair Isle, Shetland. Amazingly, we saw another bird the following day.

Blyth's Reed Warbler - 24 Sep 2001 on Fair Isle, Shetland

Great Reed Warbler - 03 Jun 1995 at Weybourne, Norfolk

Subalpine Warbler - 29 May 1998 at Grindigar, Orkney

Greenish Warbler - 14 Sep 2002 at Spurn Head, Humberside

Radde's Warbler - 23 Sep 2001 on Fair Isle, Shetland

Dusky Warbler - 24 Sep 2001 on Fair Isle, Shetland.  Then we saw another a week later at Dungeness in Kent.

Isabelline Shrike - 09 Sep 2000 at Nene Washes, Cambridgeshire

Parrot Crossbill - 02 - Jun 1998 at Derry Lodge, Aberdeenshire.  We saw a small flock of these, when their breeding numbers were at a peak in old pine forest in the Grampians.

Arctic Redpoll - 20 Jan 1996 at Sheringham, Norfolk

Rustic Bunting - 28 Sep 2001 on Fair Isle, Shetland

Black-headed Bunting - 22 Sep 2001 on Fair Isle, Shetland

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