Rare birds in Ecuador: first annual report of the Committee of Ecuadorian Records in Ornithology (CERO)

We summarise records of bird species submitted to the Committee of Ecuadorian Records in Ornithology (CERO) by the Ecuadorian and international ornithological community. CERO compiles the official country checklist and updates it annually. We present nine new country records (Anas acuta, Aythya collaris, Egretta rufescens, Coccycua pumila, Sublegatus modestus, Myiarchus panamensis, Vireo philadelphicus, Atlapetes albinucha, Icterus chrysater), four country records presented elsewhere and herein validated (Galbula cyanescens, Myiornis albiventris, Tumbezia salvini, Anthus cervinus), first voucher documentation for eight 10 species (Anas clypeata, Podiceps major, Sula leucogaster, Eudocimus ruber, Phimosus infuscatus, Gallinago delicata, Fluvicola pica, Machetornis rixosa, Progne subis, Progne elegans), additional records of two undocumented species in Ecuador (Calidris alpina, Leucippus taczanowskii), 34 significant range extensions or records of rare and poorly known species (Sarkidiornis melanotos, Anas bahamensis, A. cyanoptera, Netta erythrophthalma, Aythya affinis, Oceanites oceanicus, Oceanodroma hornbyi, Tigrisoma lineatum, Ardea herodias, Plegadis falcinellus, Limnodromus scolopaceus, Limosa fedoa, Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus, Phaetusa simplex, Hydroprogne caspia, Chlidonias niger, Coccyzus euleri, Heliodoxa gularis, Hylocharis humboldtii, Terenura spodioptila, Syndactyla rufosupercilliata, Contopus cooperi, Conopias trivirgatus, Myiarchus swainsoni cf. swainsoni, Myiarchus crinitus, Pyroderus scutatus, Vireo flavifrons, Catharus minimus, Sporophila lineola, Coryphospingus cucullatus, Chlorothraupis frenata, Passerina caerulea, Vermivora chrysoptera, Protonotaria citrea), and two new subspecies for the country (Eurypyga helias meridionalis and Petrochelidon pyrrhonota melanogaster). Three records are from the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, while all others were obtained in the continental area of Ecuador. This information updates our knowledge of the distribution and status of poorly known species in Ecuador, as well as the national bird checklist that currently reaches 1657 species (1587 confirmed and documented, 70 hypothetical).