Mike is absolutely right that birding is just a hobby. Ornithology is a science. And if MOURC is to live up to its name, it needs to reflect science, not the hobby of birding. Right now, as has been stated before, a rare bird's status is more reflective of how easy it is for a birder to find it than whether the bird is reliably present in the state.
This is a complex problem, though. Because when it comes right down to it, birders are the only ones reliably looking for each species. I think there should be a status other than "accidental" for a species like King Rail that very well may be hiding out waiting for someone to find it--a species that is recorded nesting in neighboring states. Giving King Rail and Ross's Gull the same "accidental" designation makes that designation less meaningful except as it indicates how lucky a birder is to see it. Laura Erickson Duluth, MN Producer, "For the Birds" radio program <http://www.lauraerickson.com/> There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of birds. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature--the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter. --Rachel Carson
