FAQ: Species Look-Alikes project on iNaturalist
The following questions and answers offer information about the Species Look-Alikes project. This is an iNaturalist project for species that are observed and photographed together (in the same photo), and that very closely resemble one another in appearance. The name of the project, Species Look-Alikes, is a nod to the term celebrity look-alikes.
Birds
Question: There are a lot of bird observations; is this project just for birds?
Answer: No, the project isn’t just for birds.
Purpose
Question: What is the purpose of this project?
Answer: This is an educational project. It’s one thing to read about the differences between two species, but seeing those differences is another. Many naturalists appreciate look-alike observations for comparative purposes; sometimes they thank the observer. One example is Roseate Skimmer observation 190180 by the late and great Greg Lasley. The Species Look-Alikes project gathers these helpful observations into one place, where they can be found and accessed by both beginners and professionals.
Look-alikes
Question: According to the project description, the two species shown must "very closely resemble" each other. But how similar do they have to look, to be added to the project?
Answer: Many look-alikes are commonly misidentified as each other. For example, Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) and Hairy Woodpeckers have been misidentified as each other in more than 2,700 observations (in the previous link, click the "Similar Species" tab). This is an extreme example, and many qualifying observations show two species with far fewer misidentifications between them. In general, the determination of whether two species look very similar is subjective and can differ depending on the observer. And that’s okay—there is leeway. If you think they look alike, or if you know they are misidentified as each other, then add the observation to the project (assuming other conditions are met).
Multiple photos
Question: If a single observation has multiple photos, do all the photos need to have both species in them?
Answer: No; if a single observation has multiple photos, only one of the photos has to show both species in the same photo. However, for identification purposes, one species should be present in all photos (see the examples that follow).
👍 Example A (one observation, three photos)—correct:
- Photo 1: Both Grey Heron and Great Blue Heron
- Photo 2: Only Grey Heron
Photo 3: Only Grey Heron
Identification = Grey Heron ✅
Example A is just one correct option; many other correct options aren’t shown. However, compare that correct example to the incorrect example that follows:
👎 Example B (one observation, three photos)—incorrect:
- Photo 1: Both Grey Heron and Great Blue Heron
- Photo 2: Only Grey Heron
Photo 3: Only Great Blue Heron
Identification = Great Herons 🚫
Example B is incorrect because, for identification purposes, one of the two species should be present in all photos.
Initial photo
Question: If a single observation has multiple photos, does the photo with both species have to be shown first?
Answer: No, photo order isn’t important.
👍 Example C (one observation, two photos)—correct:
- Photo 1: Only Grey Heron
Photo 2: Both Grey Heron and Great Blue Heron
Identification = Grey Heron ✅
Relevant articles
Question: Can I write an article for this project?
Answer: If you want to write a relevant article to be published as a project journal post, contact me directly (@kitemongoose). Include a very general idea of the article’s subject, as well as links to all photos you would use in the article. Note that all photos must be on iNaturalist.
