The Texas Bird Records Committee (TBRC) held its 2026 Annual Meeting on August 8, 2026.

Species Status Updates & Committee Topics

• Cory’s Shearwater: Unanimously voted (9-0) to add Cory’s Shearwater to the State Review List due to a lack of confirmed individual records relative to Scopoli’s Shearwater.
• Egyptian Goose: A write-up will be drafted to document its spread, aiming to satisfy criteria for established exotic species and officially add it to the state list.

Fourth Round Record Decisions All three fourth-round bird records evaluated during the meeting were not accepted:

• Vaux’s Swift (2023-091): Rejected (3-6) due to inconsistent photographic evidence, sparse written details, and insufficient confidence to approve what would be a second state record.
• Vaux’s Swift (2024-003): Rejected (1-8) because timing alone was insufficient to verify the species over inconclusive photos and write-ups.
• Manx Shearwater (2024-093): Rejected (2-7) due to sparse details, unclear photographic quality, and rare timing for the Gulf of Mexico.

For definition of “Fourth Round Record Decisions” check the TBRC bylaws.

Other Notable Topics

• eBird Integration: eBird is preparing to allow direct uploads of Merlin audio recordings from mobile checklists, simplifying documentation for rare vocalizing birds.
• Marsh Wren Split: Marsh Wren is set to be split into Eastern and Western species, requiring Texas birders to provide audio documentation during migration and winter overlap periods.

Elections and Committee Structure

• Re-elections: Tony Frank was re-elected as Chair and Blaine Carnes as Secretary.
• New Voting Members: Greg Cook and Sheridan Coffey completed their second terms and stepped down. Mel Cooksey and Cin-Ty Lee were elected by acclamation as new voting members (terms expire in 2029).