Species identification

We use a range of strategies and resources for species identification. Some species are simple, some difficult … and some are quite literally impossible, as they have not yet been scientifically described and named.

There is a reason we seek to find out 'who is who'. Ecological interactions are often species-specific. The better we are able to recognise different species, the more we'll understand of the ecology of the forest.

iNaturalist is now the place where we record our home lists. We benefit from the global network of knowledge in making our identifications – and our sightings can be of use to other naturalists and researchers.

Everyone goes about species identification differently. Over the years, people have asked how we tackle the challenge, so we made a few notes: