1998 in birding and ornithology

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Years in birding and ornithology:	1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
Centuries:	19th century · 20th century · 21st century
Decades:	1960s  1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
Years:	1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

See also 1997 in birding and ornithology, main events of 1998 and 1999 in birding and ornithology

Worldwide[]

New species[]

See also Bird species new to science described in the 1990s

• The Sangihe scops owl (Otus collari) is discovered in Indonesia.
• The Nicobar scops owl (Otus alius) is described from a specimen found in a museum drawer.
• The wetland tapaculo (Scytalopus iraiensis) is discovered in Brazil.

Taxonomic developments[]

• Caspian gull and yellow-legged gull should be considered separate species according to a paper by Lars Jonsson in the journal Alula.

Europe[]

• Black woodpecker are expanding their breeding territory to the north and west and now breed in Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.^[1]

Britain[]

Breeding birds[]

• A record 160 pairs of red kites breed in Wales. 25 pairs breed in Scotland and 75 in England as reintroductions continue.
• Stone curlews increase with at least 206 pairs breeding.
• 536 singing male Cetti's warblers are heard at 168 sites in England, Wales and the Channel Islands.
• House sparrow is placed on the "high alert" list of the British Trust for Ornithology after declining by about two-thirds in 25 years.^[1]
• A pair of common rosefinches breed in Cumbria.

Migrant and wintering birds[]

• Large numbers of ring ouzels are recorded in South-east England during October.
• Significant influxes of great grey shrikes and shore larks take place in October.

Rare birds[]

• Britain's first slender-billed curlew is found in Northumberland in May.
• A Cretzschmar's bunting in the Orkney Islands in May is the third for Britain.
• An eastern Bonelli's warbler in Shetland in August is the third to be accepted as definitely this species.
• Seven surf scoters are found on the western seaboard of Europe between 13 and 29 October. One each in , Brittany and St Agnes, two in Ireland and three in Cornwall.

^[2]

Other Events[]

• The British Birdwatching Fair has Globally Threatened species as its theme for the year.

Ireland[]

• A hermit thrush in County Cork in October is a first for Ireland.

Scandinavia[]

• Redhead and western sandpiper are recorded for the first time in Iceland.

Spain[]

Canary Islands[]

• A great blue heron on Tenerife on 5 December.^[3]

North America[]

• Burrowing owls are released in British Columbia as part of a reintroduction scheme.

Asia[]

• A black-legged kittiwake in the United Arab Emirates in April is the first record for the country.

References[]