Colin Bradshaw is an English physician and ornithologist who was chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee from 1997 to 2008. He was active in the BBRC for almost 20 years,^[1] both as a committee member and as chairman. He is a medical doctor by profession and travels extensively for birding, and among his other hobbies are guitar, cricket, and photography.^[2]

Life and career

As chairman of the BBRC he was responsible for running the organisation, and leading their adjudications of rare bird records in the United Kingdom.^[3]

Some testimonies about him given on or after on his retirement in 2008:

• "After 18 years involvement with the British Birds Rarities Committee, the last 11 as chairman, Colin Bradshaw will retire in 31 March 2008. His outstanding managerial skills and vision have steered the committee through times of great and often difficult change. These have included unprecedented developments in identification and taxonomy, the move to electronic submission and most recently the recruitment of a new secretary. He will now take a very well earned rest."^{[citation needed]}
• "A lifelong birder, Colin was Chairman of the British Birds Rarities Committee for over a decade. Since retiring from that he has been able to expand the amount of photography he has done. He combines a busy medical career with his other interests of playing guitar, rugby & cricket, travel, cooking birding & photography. He doesn't have much time to sleep!"^[2]
• BirdWatch magazine^[4]
• "Many thanks to Colin Bradshaw for these two fine bird photos taken during a short trip to Islay a couple of weeks ago. Colin retired from the British Birds Rarities Committee in 2008 after a total of 19 years service, including 11 as chairman".^[5]

He continued to be involved the BBRC's activities after retiring.^[6]