Anyone can record mammals. Records help build a picture of the distribution and status of species. Your records add to this picture and may even fill a gap where no-one else is recording, even for our very common species.
Each mammal record is made up of four pieces of information:
- What the species is (or group – e.g. whale – if you are unsure of the actual species)
- Where it was (ideally with a grid reference)
- When it was recorded (which can be a specific date or a broader measure such as month or year)
- Who recorded it – your name
Additional information also helps – such as was it a live sighting, roadkill, or identified from signs? How many were there? What aids were used (camera trap, bat detector, etc).
You can submit records in a wide range of ways. The following are especially recommended for ensuring that your records reach the North East Scotland Mammal Network:
- Submitting direct to the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre.
- Entering the record on iRecord – if you can include a photo, this helps with verification, though it is certainly not mandatory.
- Using the Mammal Society’s Mammal Mapper app. Records from this automatically feed through into iRecord.
- Mammal records submitted on the British Trust for Ornithology’s BirdTrack system also feed through into iRecord.
Mammal recording is fun and a great way to learn more. If unsure where to start, then come along to one of the training courses organised by the North East Scotland Mammal Network.
North East Scotland Mammal Network 