900 Species and Counting!

Congratulations, Toronto and GTA; as of May 5th we have achieved 900 species identified for City Nature Challenge 2021! These stem from more than 5,000 observations submitted since April 30th. And the Challenge isn't complete yet. Observations from April 30-May 3 can still be submitted until May 9th. Now it's time to kick into gear with our identifications! Everyone can help with identifying species to the best of their ability. For example, many people could help place unknown observations into "plant" or "bird" categories to help them get identified faster by species-level experts. Final results will be announced May 10th, so let's help ensure the GTA makes the most of our contributions for the global City Nature Challenge! Read some more details below to get started then click on the Identify tab on iNaturalist to see what's involved.

What is an identification?
An identification, or ID for short, is an assessment of the type of animal, plant, or other creature that was observed. It is typically listed with a common name and a scientific name, though some species do not have common names. When you make an observation, identify the creature as best as you can, even if that is just “plant” or “bird.”

On iNaturalist, other users are encouraged to add identifications to each other’s observations in order to confirm or improve the Community Identification (see further discussion on the iNaturalist help tab on Research Grade status). If your ID of your observation differs from the community’s assessment and you prefer that your ID take priority, just reject the community ID by clicking the "Reject?" link above the community ID. You can also opt-out of community IDs entirely by editing your settings.

Please do not simply “Agree” with an ID that someone else has made without confirming that you understand how to identify that taxon. An identification confirms that you can confidently identify it yourself compared to any possible lookalikes. If you agree with the ID without actually knowing the taxon, it may reach Research Grade erroneously.

There are several types of IDs:

Leading: Taxon descends from the community taxon. This identification could be leading toward the right answer.
Improving: First suggestion of this taxon that the community subsequently agreed with. This identification helped refine the community taxon.
Supporting: Taxon is the same as the community taxon. This identification supports the community ID.
Maverick: Taxon is not a descendant or ancestor of the community taxon. The community does not agree with this identification.

Posted on May 5, 2021 07:00 PM by ecospark