Most of us are not called upon to explore a continent, but occasionally we might come across a detail about the world around us that others may find of interest. The quality of the details written affects how seriously the record is taken. Practicing with field notes every day prepares the amatuer naturalist for the unexpected event. To document behaviors or study differences among individuals. The degree to which you take field note keeping is a matter of personal choice.
Many people restrict their record keeping to lists of birds seen.
Others keep lists and a journal. The most rigorous method for record keeping is the one prescribed by Grinnell which includes journal entries, species accounts and specimen catalogs. The goal of this page is to identify the minimum requirements for documenting rare and unusual species. We will focus on what a review committee would look for in submitted details. The references at the end of this document will provide sources for other styles and methods of record keeping.