Garganey by Steve Garvie

Our constitution

1. The function of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel is to collect data about the breeding of scarce and rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, for archive purposes and to support the conservation and study of these species.

2. The Panel shall consist of not fewer than four and not more than ten members.

3. New Panel members shall be appointed by the unanimous agreement of the existing Panel members. Members shall be chosen for their individual qualities and opportunities, rather as formal representatives, but there shall normally be on the Panel ornithologists in a position to reflect the relevant interests of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, the latter also representing the interests of the four national Statutory Nature Conservation bodies. Panel members shall serve indefinite terms.

4. The Panel shall have a chairperson and a secretary, who shall be appointed by the unanimous vote of Panel members. These officers shall serve for indefinite terms, but shall be subject to annual re-appointment at the autumn meeting of the Panel.

5. The secretary will be remunerated for his/her work on the behalf of the Panel, and will be managed by the chairperson.

6. The Panel will maintain a secure archive of data on rare breeding birds in the UK, but enable access to this data, under strict conditions, for those with legitimate reasons to use such data for purposes on conservation and conservation-related research.

7. The Panel will work to encourage the high quality recording and reporting of rare breeding birds through the provision of guidance and advice to both amateur and professional ornithologists.

8. In its work the Panel shall at all times steer a careful course between undue secrecy on the one hand and, on the other, of revealing that degree of information about rare breeding birds as is likely to their receiving harmful attention, The well-being of the birds shall be paramount, insofar as it lies within the power of the Panel to secure it.

9. In order to promote the work of the Panel, the Panel will publish an annual report summarising data on rare breeding birds for the most recently available year. In addition, the Panel may communicate to a range of target audiences through other media such as papers, a website and social media.

10. This constitution may be amended or added to at any full meeting of the Panel.

This version approved 26th April 2019.