SECTION 1 – Definition of the
1.1
Name
The
Indiana Bird Records Committee (IBRC) is a committee of the Indiana Audubon
Society (IAS).
SECTION 2 – Purposes of the
2.1 Purposes
The
primary task of the IBRC is to maintain the official Checklist of Indiana
Birds, a regularly updated and accurate listing of avian species known to have
occurred in
A)
Solicit bird records and documentation deemed by the Committee to be
helpful in understanding the status and distribution of birds in
B)
Evaluate documentation contained within bird records;
C)
Prepare and maintain a Review List. The Review List is a list of
those species for which the Committee desires reports. The Review List
may be incorporated into the official Checklist of Indiana Birds; and
D) Conduct other activities as deemed necessary by the Committee and the IAS Board of Directors.
2.2
Permanent Files
A)
The
IBRC shall maintain permanent files of records received. These files are
presently archived at the
B)
The
Chair will also maintain a duplicate set of files.
SECTION 3 – Chair of the
3.1 The Chair of
the IBRC must be a member of the Indiana Audubon Society.
3.2 The Chair’s
term shall be a one-year renewable term ending December 31.
A) A person elected Chair may be elected to no
more than six consecutive terms. A Chair
having served the maximum number of consecutive terms may serve again after the
expiration of one year.
3.3 Nomination
A)
The
IBRC shall annually solicit nominations for Chair utilizing the IAS Cardinal.
The nominator must obtain the approval of the nominee for the nomination. The
Chair must receive nominations by the week prior to the annual IBRC meeting.
B)
The
Chair shall prepare a ballot. Each eligible person nominated shall be placed on
the ballot in alphabetical order. The vote may be conducted by mail,
electronically, or at a meeting.
C) Committee members only shall vote for all nominees, assigning points for their preference in descending order (i.e. if four nominees exist, give four points to the most preferred, three to the next preferred, and so on). If a member is unable to vote, the polling shall be conducted only among remaining members. However, members may submit absentee ballots. All votes must be submitted prior to, or at, the annual meeting.
D)
In
the event of a tie for the Chair-elect, the Chair shall conduct another vote of
the committee members present to determine the preference between the nominees
who tied.
3.4
Appointment
A)
The
name of the IBRC Chair-elect will be submitted to the IAS Board of Directors
for approval no later than the fall Board meeting.
B)
If
the IAS Board of Directors does not approve the nominee for Chair-elect, the
IBRC shall conduct a new vote following the guidelines as described in 3.3 of
this document except that notice need not be published in any IAS
publication. The name of the new
Chair-elect shall then be submitted to the IAS Board of Directors for approval.
C)
In
cases where a member of the IAS Board of Directors is being considered for IBRC
Chair, that member shall abstain from participation in the appointment process.
3.5 Duties
A)
The
Chair of the IBRC shall call and chair an annual meeting, call and chair
special meetings, manage committee correspondence, maintain committee files,
and perform other duties necessary to facilitate the operation of the
committee. The Chair will serve as a voting member of the IBRC with all rights
and responsibilities thereof for matters of business and nominations of IBRC
members.
B)
The
Chair will submit a summary to the IAS Board of Directors, both of the
activities of the committee and of the records evaluated by the IBRC, the
latter of which shall appear at least annually in an issue of the Indiana
Audubon Quarterly, an official publication of the IAS. Accepted records
published in the Quarterly shall include the species name, record
number, the name(s) of the observer(s), with indication of the person first
finding the bird, where and when the bird was found, and the committee’s
disposition of the record. Records not accepted shall include the same
information without the name(s) of observer(s). Photographs shall be published
when appropriate, and will include the name of the photographer.
3.6
Resignation, Removal, or Replacement
A)
REMOVAL:
The Chair of the IBRC may be removed for cause by a majority vote of IBRC
members in consultation with the IAS President.
B)
FILLING
VACANCIES: In the event of removal or resignation before the expiration of the
Chair’s term, a replacement will be chosen by IBRC members in consultation with
the IAS President.
SECTION 4 – Members
of the
4.1
Eligibility
Members
of the IBRC must be members of the Indiana Audubon Society.
4.2 Number and
Term of Members
A)
The
IBRC shall consist of seven members appointed to staggered three-year terms in
three classes that are approximately equal. A member’s term will end on
December 31st of the year of expiration (or appointment).
B)
A
member serving a full three-year term is ineligible to serve on the committee
for a period of one year after the expiration of his/her current term.
4.3
Election and Confirmation of IBRC Members
A)
The
IBRC will solicit nominations each year for membership utilizing the IAS Cardinal.
Any member of IAS may make nominations. The nominator must obtain approval of
the nominee for the nomination. The Chair must receive nominations by the week
prior to the IBRC annual meeting.
B)
The Chair shall prepare a ballot. The
nominees shall be placed on the ballot in alphabetical order. The vote may be
conducted by mail, electronically, or at a meeting.
C)
Committee
members shall vote for all nominees, assigning points for their preference in
descending order (i.e. if four nominees exist, give four points to the most
preferred, three to the next preferred, and so on). If a member is unable to
vote, the polling shall be conducted only among remaining members. However,
members may submit absentee ballots. All votes must be submitted prior to, or
at, the annual meeting.
D)
In
the event of a tie for the last position on the committee, the Chair shall
conduct another vote of the committee members present to determine the
preference between the nominees who tied for the last position.
E)
The
Chair shall prepare a list of elected committee members based on the committee
members’ vote, and submit that list to the IAS Board of Directors for approval
no later than the fall Board meeting.
Members
shall:
A)
Attend
meetings,
B)
Vote
on records circulated by mail or electronically within the time period
determined by the Chair. In the event that records are to be circulated
sequentially through the committee, the record should be passed on to the next
member according to a schedule set by the Chair, and
C)
Apprise
the Chair of anticipated meeting absences or unavailability for the review of
circulating records.
4.5
Resignation, Removal, and Replacement of Members
A)
REMOVAL.
An IBRC member who repeatedly fails to respond within established deadlines, or
is otherwise delinquent in his/her duties, and has not notified the Chair in
advance of any absence, may be removed from the committee by a majority vote of
the IBRC.
B)
FILLING
VACANCIES. In the event of removal or resignation, the IBRC shall elect a
replacement from nominee(s) selected by the Chair. The replacement should be
submitted to the IAS Board of Directors for approval. The replacement shall serve for the remainder
of the year. If the term of the vacated position extends beyond the end of the
year, the position shall be filled for the remainder of the term at the annual
meeting (or by mail, electronically, or at a special called meeting of the
committee), using standard procedures for filling expired positions.
SECTION 5 – Operation of the
5.1 Meetings
A)
ANNUAL & SPECIAL MEETINGS: The committee shall meet at least once a
year no later than September 1. A special meeting may be called at any time
either by a request of the majority of members or by the Chair.
B)
NOTICE: Written notice, by mail or e-mail, of meetings shall be given to
all members at least 21 days in advance.
C) MEETINGS
OPEN: Meetings shall be open to the public.
However, the committee may conduct portions of the meeting in executive
session, which shall be closed to the public.
D)
QUORUM:
Five members shall constitute a quorum.
5.2
Records To Be Considered
A)
Records
of rare birds found within the state boundaries of
1) Heretofore unknown in
2) Listed on the Review List.
B)
Records
deemed necessary by a vote of the majority of the committee.
C)
Records
submitted by other organizations or compilers (e.g., the Christmas Bird Count
or May Day compiler or a “Field Notes” editor).
5.3 Definitions
of Decisions
There are two types of decisions that can be made concerning records. They are:
A)
NOT
ACCEPTED: There are three classes of “not accepted” records. They are:
1) “NOT ACCEPTED, DOCUMENTATION INADEQUATE”: The voting IBRC member believes that:
a) the evidence does not adequately
support the species identification, or
b)
the evidence describes two or more species that cannot be separated on the
basis of the evidence. In this case the record might be reconsidered as a
generic report, e.g. Plegadis ibis species or frigatebird species.
2).
“NOT ACCEPTED, ORIGIN QUESTIONABLE”: The evidence supports the identification
of the species, and rules out all other species, but the bird may have been a
captive that escaped or was released.
3).
“NOT ACCEPTED, EXOTIC BIRD NOT ESTABLISHED”: The evidence adequately describes
the species, and rules out all other species, but the population of the species
has not been established. The IBRC shall develop and follow guidelines that
define the use of the word “established” as it pertains to species in this
category.
B)
ACCEPTED.
There are two classes of “accepted” records. They are:
1).
“ACCEPTED, VERIFIED”: The evidence adequately describes the species, rules out
all others, and the record is supported by a specimen, photograph, video, sound
recording, or diagnostic in-hand measurements.
2). “ACCEPTED, SIGHT RECORD”: The evidence
adequately supports the
identification of the
species, and rules out all other species, but there is no physical
verification for the
record.
5.4 Voting
A)
GENERAL ROLE OF THE CHAIR. All evidence of rare birds submitted to the IBRC
shall be referred to the Chair. The Chair shall assign each report a unique
record number. Each written description, specimen, photograph, and recording
making up the report shall be given a subset letter under the record number.
B)
VOTING FORMATS. There are two types of
voting formats.
1)
First Round Voting – Ballots will be sent through the U.S. Mail or
electronically for the first round of voting.
2) Second Round Voting – Second-round
voting shall occur at meetings.
C)
BALLOTS.
The ballots used will contain the name of the bird, record number, voter’s
name, and current date as supplied by the Chair. There will be a section for
recommending to accept or not accept. The ballot will also contain a section
for the committee member to state the reason for the decision, and for the committee
member to sign and date the ballot.
D)
SPLITTING AND COMBINING RECORDS. When the committee believes that:
1)
The evidence indicates that a separate record should be placed under a
different record number, the record will be split, or
2)
The evidence indicates that a record should be combined with another record or
records under the same record number, the records will be combined.
E)
RECORD
RECONSIDERATION. Any record may be reconsidered at the request of the Chair or
any member of the committee for reasons stated in writing, either by mail or
e-mail. While evidence supporting the reconsideration may be distributed by
e-mail, the actual vote to accept or not accept the report shall take place at
a meeting of the committee.
F)
MEETING LIMITATIONS. There are three types of records that shall be voted on at
a meeting:
1) Second round records,
2) Records supported entirely or in part
by evidence that cannot be easily distributed to members, or
3) Records under reconsideration.
G)
FIRST-ROUND VOTING
1)
ROLE OF THE CHAIR. The Chair shall separate records into four categories
according to the provisions in this section. The Chair may arrange packets of
records for circulation in the most economical manner. The four categories are
as follows:
a)
Records supported by written evidence. The Chair may make multiple
copies of these records for simultaneous review by several members, or forward
them to committee members electronically. The Chair shall exercise discretion
in circulating mailed records.
b)
Records supported by written evidence and by photographs and/or other
evidence that can be sent electronically. If the written documentation and
photographs can be scanned, the records will be forwarded to IBRC members by
mail or electronically.
c)
Records supported by written evidence and by photographs and/or other
evidence that require mailing. The Chair shall send the entire record to
the first member of the committee. After reviewing the evidence and drawing
conclusions about each record, the first member sends his/her completed ballots
to the Chair, and forwards the records to the second member of the committee.
This process continues until the last member of the committee sends the records
back to the Chair.
d)
Records supported in part or entirely by evidence that cannot be easily
distributed. These records shall be voted on only at a meeting. The Chair
shall note the nature of the evidence in the meeting agenda.
2)
ACCEPTANCE OR NON-ACCEPTANCE ON THE FIRST ROUND. If a record receives “accepted”
votes from at least 80 percent of members voting, it is accepted. If a record
receives “accepted” votes from at least 20 percent of the voters, but less than
80 percent, it will be deferred to a second round. If a record fails to receive
“accepted” from 20 percent of members voting, it is not accepted. A minimum of five members must vote on first
round records.
3)
INDEPENDENT VOTING ON THE FIRST ROUND. To obtain the most accurate information
on which to base a first-round vote, it may be helpful for one committee member
to consult with another for details on the species involved. The first-round
voting of each member, however, shall remain independent.
4)
REASONS MUST BE STATED. Committee members must state their reasons in accepting
or not accepting a record. These reasons will be reviewed by other committee
members if there is a second round of voting, and these comments become part of
the permanent record in the IBRC file.
5)
VOTING BY MEMBERS. Members are eligible to vote for all records unless they
themselves saw or heard the bird. In cases where at least three members were
involved with the record, all members will be eligible to vote on that record.
H)
SECOND-ROUND VOTING AND RECORDS UNDER CONSIDERATION.
1)
INFORMATION. When a record receives at least 20 percent but less than 80
percent “accepted” votes on the first round, the Chair initiates a second
round, which will be conducted at a meeting. The complete record, along with
copies of the members’ first round comments, additional information, if any,
and in the case of records being reconsidered, the request for reconsideration,
are forwarded to IBRC members so that they may be read prior to the second
round vote.
2)
WRITTEN REASONS NEED NOT BE STATED. When voting at a meeting, written ballots
need not be prepared. The Chair shall record the results of the voting on each
record.
3)
ACCEPTANCE OR NON-ACCEPTANCE ON THE SECOND ROUND. When voting on the second
round, a record is accepted if it receives “accepted” votes from at least 70
percent of those voting, otherwise it is not accepted. A minimum of five members must vote on second
round records.
5.5 Notice to
Persons Submitting Reports
Persons
submitting observations shall be notified by the Chair of the committee’s
disposition of the records or that the outcome will be published in a future
issue of the IAS Quarterly. Any
notifications to the observer or what is printed in the Quarterly may
include anonymous copies of members’ comments.
SECTION 6 – Use of the
6.1 Duplication
of File Material
All
materials submitted become the property of the Indiana Audubon Society,
Inc. Duplication of slides, photographs,
film, and audio and video recordings is not permitted without permission of the
photographer or recordist except that IAS may reproduce items for its own use
or publications.
6.2 Loan of File
Material
Loans
of slides, photographs, film, and audio and video recordings from the permanent
files are not permitted. Only the duplicated material retained by the Chair
will be available for loan.
6.3 Availability
of Written Materials
Written
materials are available to interested persons as arranged with the Chair.
SECTION 7 –
7.1 Financial Support
The
committee may submit a budget for approval by the IAS Board of Directors. The Board of Directors must approve any
expenditure in excess of the budgeted amount.
Amended:
January 25, 2003
February 4, 2006