The Sussex list and individual species records provided here on the SOS web site has been developed from an extensive database collected by Richard Fairbank from a large number of references as described below.

The Sussex List is currently (in early 2002) 384. The latest additions result from the British Ornithologists Union Taxonomic Sub-committee's recognition of Green-winged Teal and Northern Redpoll as separate species and, perhaps more controversially, a February-March 1999 record of Snow Goose at Scotney Court GP.

Records are included for most rare and scarce species seen in Sussex. All records are listed for many of these species while for others only those since a given year have been included (usually 1948, 1960, 1980 or 1990).

des Forges and Harber (A Guide to the Birds of Sussex. Edinburgh. 1963) is the standard reference for scarce records in Sussex up to 1961. Shrubb (Birds of Sussex. Chichester. 1979) adds scant details on records during 1961-1976 but contains a number of errors and omissions relating to scarce records. James (ed.) (Birds of Sussex. Sussex Ornithological Society. 1996) summarises records published in des Forges and Harber (expanding on a few) and details those during 1962-1994. Records since 1994 can be found in relevant editions of the Sussex Bird Report.

des Forges and Harber do not list individual records for species which had occurred in the county on more than ten occasions up to 1961, providing instead a summary. Where possible the individual records have been determined from the very detailed Walpole-Bond (A History of Sussex Birds. London. 1938) and subsequent South Eastern and Sussex Bird Reports. Walpole-Bond did not vet records prior to inclusion in his book and des Forges and Harber undertook a comprehensive review of all records up to 1961, omitting some records they had concerns with. Unfortunately Harber's working papers were lost following his death (G. des Forges pers. comm.). As a result, it has not been possible to determine, for some species, exactly which records were excluded or whether any additional records were found. Reconciliations with des Forges and Harber's totals up to 1961 have been attempted where relevant (and are indicated >> where unsuccessful).

Published records now considered to be unacceptable by relevant committees, or of proven or strongly suspected escapes from captivity, are included in [ ]. Most of the unacceptable records are 'Hastings Rarities' (see British Birds 55:229-384) and were excluded by des Forges and Harber.

In exceptional cases, important records have been included prior to their acceptance by the relevant committee (these are marked †). Also a few records considered to be genuine for which details were not submitted to the relevant committee, have been included (‡).