The Portuguese Rarities Committee, which functions as a subcommittee within SPEA, began its remit on 1st January, 1995.
The primary function of the committee is to adjudicate on rare or accidental bird records seen within the ambit of Portugal, including continental Portugal, the archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira and the Selvagens, along with their respective exclusive economic zones.
 
At present the committee is composed of seven ornithologists, who meet regularly to analyse records of rare birds submitted by observers.
 

	João Jara (Coordinator) Experience of some 25 years birding in Portugal and abroad. Author or co-author of articles about birds. Since 2005, he has led many field trips in Portugal and abroad and has also run a series of identification courses for SPEA. He is member of the Board of SPEA. Member of the PRC since 2005 and its coordinator since 2007. In 2008 formed his own birding tours company.
	Peter Alfrey Peter is a Western Palearctic exploration ornithologist and most of his exploration has been focused on the Azores (passerine hunting, winter gull identification and pelagics). As a result of over 60 foreign trips, he has experience with the majority of species recorded in the Western Palearctic. He has published numerous articles and photographs in the leading European birding periodicals including Birding World, Dutch Birding, Birdwatch and Limicola and recently authored his first book. In his home country, the UK, he resides in London and is an avid local patch watcher, local writer, photographer and environmental campaigner. He holds a Masters of Science and is Managing Director of his own (partner) Environmental Mangement Company.
	Helder Costa An ornithologist for more than 20 years, author or co-author of 11 books and more than 60 papers about birds. A founding member of SPEA, Helder was a member of the Board between 1993 and 2006 and president for 7 years. He is a founder member of the PRC and was its coordinator between 1995 and 2002. He has a wide experience of birds in many parts of the world.
	Rafael Matias Biologist, with ca. 20 years of birdwatching experience. Professionally, during the last 4 years, he has been working on seabird ecology on the Falklands and on the Selvagens Islands. He has studied birds on 3 continents with frequent trips to Chile and Guinea-Bissau. He is also a ringer with experience gathered in several countries. Special interest in the problem of introduced species. Author or co-author of scientific literature in the ornithological field, including a field guide on non-native birds in Portugal. He is also an illustrator and painter and his work has appeared in various publications. He has been a member of the PRC since 1999.
	Colm Moore Studied plant biology but passionate birdwatcher. Served on Irish Rarities Committee. Founder member of Iberian Rarity Committee and of PRC. Three books authored or co-authored and over sixty papers or short notes published. He has spent extended periods of time in Denmark, Ireland, Israel, Latvia and China studying birds. Special interests: seabird migration, seabird identification and taxa below species level.
	José Lima Santos DPhD from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, is Associate Professor at the Instituto Superior de Agronomia of the Technical University of Lisbon, where was granted the Habilitation degree based on a public lecture on “Farming Systems and Biodiversity”. The evaluation of public policies for agriculture and the environment has been his major area of teaching and research – an area in which he has an extensive curriculum of publications. Has been involved in bird observation and study for a period of more than 30 years, gaining a broad field experience in most taxonomic groups of the Western Palearctic (including vagrants), especially in Iberia, but also in the UK and Denmark.
	Ray Tipper Ray is a life-long birdwatcher who left his native Britain in 1973 and spent most of the next 22 years in Hong Kong, where he was a trustee of WWF and became intimately involved with its renowned Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve. He has wide-ranging field experience in both the Palearctic and Nearctic regions and in 1997 led his first birdwatching tour for a British bird tour company. Since then, he has led close to 60 tours on various continents. He has authored some 20 papers and articles, but is best known as a bird photographer whose work is published all over the world. Member of the PRC since 2007.

Mainland Portugal (PDF)

Azores (PDF)

Madeira (PDF)

Selvagens (PDF)

The lists are based on all rare or accidental bird species observed up to 31st December, 2007, for which there is documented evidence.