Rarity level

To facilitate reading data, species are classified into 7 different rarity levels. Each category is represented by a different colour when visualising the name of the species. Go to Menu > Useful information > Symbol explanation to see colour correspondence (see image Symbols for rarity level in Fauna-France as an example.

From commonest to rarest, species are classified as:

• Very common
• Common
• Escaped
• Unusual
• Rare
• Very rare
• Never observed

This classification is not defined by a standard, but is based on local and current knowledge and therefore, it may change.

When you enter a species, it is automatically classified according to the criteria defined by administrators in each local site. However, an administrator can change manually the rarity level of specific observations due to temporal or regional circumstances. For example, if you entered a species classified as very rare but administrators know at the point of the observation there is a scaped individual, the rarity level of your observation may be manually changed to Escaped. Note when this is the case and you modify the data, the assigned category will be automatically reverted to the original and administrators will need to change it manually once more.

In addition to the rarity level, other symbols may appear next to an observation indicating exceptionality (see image Additional information as an example). Go to Menu > Useful information > Symbol explanation to see meaning of other markings at each local portal.