[texbirds] Re: Tropical Mockingbird - missing back toe nail on right foot

  • From: Jim Sinclair <jim.sinclair@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Texbirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 30 May 2012 11:47:14 -0500

I guess I'll jump back in again.

Firstly, if we knew with 100% certainty that the bird arrived on a
driftwood snag that came from an appropriate location, it would be accepted
without question.

Now - Let's say we knew the above, but also knew that the snag had been
created during human land clearing operations, and was unintentionally
moved into the waterway.  Was the bird human assisted?  Most - if not all
would probably accept the record.

Next, let's assume we knew that it arrived on a small boat that was adrift
- no people on board.  What then?

The next step, of course, is to know that it arrived via ship without the
knowledge of any human.

My goal with the above scenarios is to highlight the difficulty of trying
to establish specific criteria for either acceptance or rejection.  That's
why we have the TBRC.

I have never served on that board, and never will, as my skills and
knowledge are insufficient.  But I do know some folks that have.  There is
a reason why many potential records have split votes.  That's good.  I have
even heard a story about one record that was accepted many years ago on an
8 to 1 vote.  And the person voting against it was the person who submitted
the record.

-- 
Jim Sinclair (TX-ESA)
TOS Life Member
Kingsville, TX

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of
thinking we were at when we created them." - Albert Einstein

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