1 Reply by selimap

  • selimap
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  • From: Cardiff, S Wales, UK
  • Registered: 18-01-2007
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Re: Birds and Mammals outside UK?

I am an amateur recorder and considering changing my current software to recorder 6. It would enable me to record taxa not catered for in my current s/ware (e.g. fungi) and be better aligned with my local record centre.

However, as well as UK records which I send to the relevant bodies, I also record birds and mammals whenever abroad. This is mostly for personal interest, but occasionally I send records abroad.

My present software does give me up to date world bird and world mammals species list (and European butterflies).

Does anyone know if I can get taxon/species lists for these groups for Recorder 6?

Also, I am used to being able to select birds (say) from the species known to be in the relevant country or geographic faunal/ zone, based on distribution in formation. This makes species selection much easier, especially when the same common name can be used for different species in different countries. Does Recorder 6 have a distribution of species concept?

I suppose if the answers to my questions are negative, I should post this in the 'features wanted' forum! I realise Recorder was built for UK recording, but why not take a broader view?

2 Reply by sallyrankin

  • sallyrankin
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  • Registered: 07-04-2006
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Re: Birds and Mammals outside UK?

There are a lot of aliens, or non-native species in the Recorder 6 taxon dictionary. This is basically the Natural History Museum’s Species Dictionary. If you want to check the species you work with you can go to ‘Species Dictionary’ on the Natural History Museum’s web-site and search for them, although it is possible that not all of them have made it into R6 yet.

In R6 you can add your own species using Dictionaries – Edit Taxon Details. The Help (F1) tells you about the limitations and how to do it once you find the right part. When entering data you can do unrestricted searches of the dictionary or you can restrict your searches to the preferred lists or to the current checklist. This can be done on the General tab on Tools – Options, or while doing data entry. There is one preferred list for each taxonomic group although not all groups are covered yet. Dr John Tweddle from the NHM gives us updates from time to time but as far as I can see the last one didn’t make it on the forum.

Sally Rankin, JNCC Recorder Approved Expert
E-mail: s.rankin@btinternet.com
Telephone: 01491 578633
Mobile: 07941 207687

3 Reply by DaveSlade

  • DaveSlade
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  • Registered: 15-05-2006
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Re: Birds and Mammals outside UK?

Sally, I think what Paul is after is actually a more general non-UK based Bird and Mammal list than that supplied with Recorder as standard. I notice that there are users in Luxemburg & the Falkland Islands - how are their Taxon Dictionaries generated?

Dave Slade
Senior IT & Records Officer,
15 Talbot Road, Talbot Green, Pontyclun, CF72 8AD
www.sewbrec.org.uk, www.sewbrecord.org.uk

4 Reply by Sarah Shaw

  • Sarah Shaw
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  • Registered: 23-06-2006
  • Posts: 267

Re: Birds and Mammals outside UK?

Hi Dave

I'm not sure about Luxemburg but the Falklands have their own custom-made dictionary - it only includes the species they record there and is not a general list.

Best wishes,

Sarah

Sarah Shaw
Biodiversity Information Assistant
JNCC

Sarah Shaw
Biodiversity Information Assistant
JNCC

5 Reply by johnvanbreda

  • johnvanbreda
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  • Registered: 27-04-2006
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Re: Birds and Mammals outside UK?

Likewise for Luxembourg, they set up their own custom dictionary checklists for species that occur in Luxembourg.

John van Breda
Biodiverse IT

johnvanbreda's Website