How to Add Hybrids, Domestics, Intergrades, Forms, SPUHs, etc to a Taxonomic List
New in v4.0.46, Birder’s Diary allows you to easily add new Things to your taxonomic list. Different types of things have been made popular by Cornell’s eBird project.
This feature requires an Advanced User License.
Many users would now like to keep track of Hybrids, Domestics, Intergrades, Forms, SPUHs (Genus or identification at a broader level; e.g. ‘Unknown Raven’), Slashes (identification to a species pair/group; e.g. ‘American Black Duck/Mallard’) and more.
In addition, if you add something that is not countable on your Life List, you can mark that new Thing as not countable. Any sightings for such a Thing would not count on Life List Counts in Birder’s Diary. For example, if you wanted to record your sighting of a Hybrid, you can add that hybrid during Sightings Entry (Keyboard mode) and mark it as not countable.
This new feature is accessible from the
- Taxonomy Viewer (F8) and
- Sightings Entry Keyboard Mode (currently not supported in Checklist Entry mode).
From the Taxonomy Viewer, where you might be making multiple additions to a taxonomic list, click the plus button in the toolbar to open the Add Thing to Taxonomic List window.
From Sightings Entry Keyboard Mode, where you might just want to add the new thing during entry, click the Add Thing button. After you create the thing, you will return to this window and be able to enter the sighting for it.
You don’t have to worry about losing these Things you have added to your taxonomic list when you upgrade to the new version each year. The new Reconcile Wizard has a feature that allows you to move these things over to the new version of the tax list, and any sightings you have attached to them!
Creating a SPUH
A SPUH is short for “sp.” or not identified to species level. For example, you saw an Accipiter, but your are not sure which one you saw.
Be sure to enter the Common Name first. NOTE: This is a SmartSearch field and it may help you to disable the SmartSearch auto-complete functionality by pressing Ctrl+DnArrow while the focus is in the Name field.
Fill in normal classifications for each rank down to the genus of Accipiter (TIP: if you just type “accipiter” in the Genus field, with all of the above fields blank, it will pre-fill the above ranks). Leave Species and Subspecies blank. Be sure to check the Not Countable checkbox.
Creating a SLASH
SLASH is short for identification to species pair or group. For example, that Unknown Raven you saw. It could have been a Common or Chihuauan Raven. You couldn’t ID it to species, but you want to record the sighting.
Fill in normal classifications for each rank down to Genus. For species, separate each species epithet by slashes “/”. Be sure to check the Not Countable checkbox, as you don’t want sightings for this thing to count on your life list.
Creating an Identifiable Sub-specific Group (ISSF)
Use the same technique as above for SLASHes. For example, you know you saw an Oregon Junco (a group of several subspecies of dark-eyed junco; you just don’t know which subspecies).
In this case, fill in all Ranks down to Species. Set the subspecies epithet to a combination of each of the subspecies in the group separated by slashes “/”.
In this case, do NOT check the Not Countable checkbox. As a sighting of any subspecies of Dark-eyed Junco counts as a lifer towards your dark-eyed juncos. You DID identify it to the specific level – just not the sub-specific level.
Creating a Hybrid
Use the same technique as above for SLASHes, but replace your slashes with an “X”. For example, if you saw a Cinnamon Teal X Blue-winged Teal hybrid, fill it out as shown below.
Creating an Intergrade
An intergrade is defined as a hybrid between two ISSF (e.g. subspecies or subspecies groups).
In this case, be sure to choose a Common Name that is unique in your taxonomic list (e.g. Oregon X White-winged Junco), and set the Subspecies epithet to as with SLASHes.
Creating a Domestic
Suppose you have seen a Domestic Mallard. You can name your domestic Thing Mallard as that name is already in use. So, choose a name such as “Mallard (Domestic)” and set the Species epithet to “platyrhynchos (domestic).
Creating a Form
Miscellaneous other taxa, including recently-described species yet to be accepted or distinctive forms that are not universally accepted (Red-tailed Hawk (Northern)).
Treat this as in Domestic above.