If you see any unusual bird, try to take a photo if possible and note down as much as you can. Please also download a record form and send to SBRC.
Your observations will form part of a permanent archive of records supported by documentary evidence freely available to everyone. The archive means that in years to come, anyone looking back at bird records in Seychelles can examine the evidence for bird sightings of an earlier time and be confident regarding identification. If sightings are not reported and properly assessed the information will eventually be lost to posterity. The wonderful thing is that this is something absolutely anyone can do. You don’t have to be a scientist or an expert. All you have to do is keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual and then report it.
The more information we collect, the more we learn. Black-crowned Night Herons had never been recorded in Seychelles until the 1990s, but now they breed here. Amur Falcons were never seen before 1995 but are now regular. On the other hand, some of our shorebirds are dropping in numbers dramatically. Reasons for these changes might include climate change, loss of habitat at the breeding grounds or other factors. Most of this is speculation, but as each year passes we are learning more.