Sources and reliability
Everything you study here comes from a record someone made. This page says where those records come from and how much weight each kind can carry.
Species, places and counts
Species, taxonomy and place records are imported from existing catalogue sources, mainly iNaturalist. Species overviews are put together from those records and link to the source behind each statement. If something is missing, the catalogue does not have it yet; it does not mean the species is absent.
Observation counts measure where people look as much as what lives there. A busy trail has more records than a quiet bog. Treat counts as a guide to what you are likely to meet, not a survey.
Photos and sounds
Photos and recordings keep their original creator, source and licence, shown on each card. The media credits page explains reuse. Bird and other wildlife sounds come from open-licence recordings. People using Nature By Name can add their own photos, and report any that are wrong or unclear.
Traits
Traits such as “nocturnal” or “berry-eating” help you build focused decks. They are not identification, medical or foraging advice.
- Imported from datasets
- Some traits come from named datasets. Each keeps the name of its source.
- Added by people
- Anyone with an account can add a trait to a species. Each addition needs a link to supporting evidence, and anyone can report one that looks wrong.
Edibility, toxicity, medicinal use and similar traits are research labels only. Never use Nature By Name as the only basis for deciding whether a wild species is safe to eat, handle or use.
Scheduling and progress
Reviews are scheduled with FSRS, an open-source spaced-repetition method, using your own answers. A species counted as learned means you have been naming it reliably in practice. It is not a certificate that you can identify it in the field.