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How to submit a record

Submitting a wildlife record doesn’t take long once you’ve done it a few times. This guide walks you through each part of the recording form so you know what to expect and what information is most useful to include.

The more detail you can provide, the easier it is for our county recorders to verify your sighting – and the more valuable your record becomes.

Step 1: Select a recording form or survey

To record a single species in one location, use the Enter a single record form
To record multiple species at one location, use the Enter a list of records form
Or choose one of our species-specific surveys from the menu

Step 2: Your details

The ‘who’ section is one of the most commonly missed parts of a record. We need to know who made the sighting so that our county recorders can get in touch if they have questions about your record. If you have created an account on this website, your name and email address will be filled in for you automatically.

Step 3: Date

Click the date field and select a date from the calendar. If you’re entering historical records and don’t know the exact date, record as accurately as you can – even just a month and year is useful.

Step 4: Species

Start typing either the common name or scientific name of the species, and the form will offer you suggestions from its species dictionary. Click the species you want when you see it – don’t just type the name and press Enter, as there are often several similarly named species and you might select the wrong one.

example of species autofill

If you haven’t been able to identify the species precisely, that’s fine – record it at whatever level of confidence you’ve reached. The form accepts genus and family names. If you’re recording at the genus or family level, use the scientific name rather than a common name (for example, entering ‘ruby tailed wasp’ might match a specific species rather than the whole genus).

Step 5: Observation details

Work through the form, filling in as much as you can. Two fields are particularly useful for verification:

  • The Identified By field – if an expert helped you with the identification, add their name here. It gives the record extra weight and makes verification more straightforward.
  • The Comment field — use this to describe behaviour, precise location details, or the keys and guides you used to reach your identification. This is especially helpful for difficult species where our verifiers need to understand your reasoning.

Step 6: Photos

Adding a photo is the single most effective way to support your record. If you have several photos, prioritise the ones that show the diagnostic features of the species – the features that distinguish it from similar species. Check your identification guide to see which features matter most.

If your record involves a rare, threatened or sensitive species, you can flag it as sensitive. All records submitted through the website are publicly viewable by default, so for sensitive species, you may want to reduce the resolution at which the location is displayed. Use the drop-down to select how much to blur the location. If you’re unsure, ask the relevant county recorder for advice.

Step 7: Location

Enter a name for the site in the Site Name field, then click on the map to generate a grid reference. A help dialogue will appear, encouraging you to refine the location – you can keep clicking to zoom in to a 10m square if needed. You can also switch to aerial photography using the backdrop selector on the right-hand side of the map.

example of location page

Record to whatever resolution feels appropriate. Birds seen flying overhead in the distance, for example, might reasonably be recorded at 100m resolution if you’re not certain of their exact position.

Step 8: Habitat and additional information

After setting a location, you can add further context to your record. The Habitat field is optional, but filling it in helps us understand whether species are turning up in expected or unexpected habitat types. Select a broad habitat type first, then a more specific one – for example, Grassland > Dry grasslands including chalk grassland.

If you’re using a form that allows multiple records for one location, the Overall Comment field lets you add notes that apply to all the records in that submission – for example, a description of the site or the conditions on the day.

Step 9: Submit

Once you’re happy with your record and have filled in everything you can, press Submit. If you’re logged in as a registered user, you can come back later to edit your records, add more information, or attach further photos.