How we check facts

Every number on SpeciesFacts comes from a public data set. Each claim links to the fact it rests on, and each fact links to its source.

Where the data comes from

• Range by state, conservation ranks, habitat, food habits and typical size: NatureServe Explorer, built with the network of state natural heritage programs. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
• Endangered Species Act status: the US Fish and Wildlife Service ECOS database. Protected birds: the Migratory Bird Treaty Act list in 50 CFR 10.13. Introduced aquatic species: USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species.
• Lifespan and diet: AnAge (CC BY 3.0), EltonTraits 1.0 (CC0) and USGS Bird Banding Laboratory longevity records. These are record values, not typical lifespans.
• When and where people see a species: counts of observation records from GBIF and park species lists from the National Park Service (NPSpecies). They show where people look and report, not how many animals live there.
• Safety tips: only official guidance from the National Park Service, CDC, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, linked on each page. We add no safety advice of our own.
• Photos: Wikimedia Commons files with an explicit public domain or Creative Commons license that allows reuse (CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA). Each photo shows its author and license.

How a page is made

1. We download the data sets and match each species across them by scientific name.
2. Code builds the status table, the state map, charts, park lists and safety tips straight from the data.
3. A writing step explains what the facts mean in plain English. Every number carries a reference to its fact.
4. A script checks every number, flags words that go beyond the facts and blocks places smaller than a state for species at risk. Then a separate review step checks each claim against the source before the page is published.

Limits

Listings, ranks and ranges change as agencies review species. Our pages show what the records list on the date shown at the top of each page. Observation counts depend on where people look. For decisions about a specific site, contact your state wildlife agency.

Credits

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. AnAge: Tacutu et al. 2018, CC BY 3.0. EltonTraits 1.0: Wilman et al. 2014, CC0. GBIF.org occurrence data (counts only). Federal data from USFWS, NPS and USGS is in the public domain.