Why biological recording matters
Biological recording is how we keep track of what’s living where – and how that’s changing over time. Every sighting of a bat, a rare plant, a dragonfly or a breeding bird contributes to a picture of Suffolk’s wildlife that informs conservation decisions, planning applications, and environmental policy.
SBIS holds over 6.5 million records for Suffolk, built up by generations of naturalists and volunteers. The more people record, the more complete and useful that picture becomes. Whether you’ve spotted something unusual in your garden or you survey a site regularly, your records are welcome here.
Where does your recording data go?
Records submitted to SBIS are verified by county recorders, added to our database, and shared with conservation organisations and planners across the county.
- iRecord – our preferred platform for submitting records online. Available on Google Play and the App Store.
- iNaturalist – useful for identification as well as recording.
- iSpot – community identification help.
Submitting records to SBIS
You can submit records as a guest or create a free account on the site. Logging in lets you view and edit your own records.
Records come to us in three ways:
- Using the recording form – the standard form above covers most sightings. Enter a grid reference, species name, date, and any notes.
- Uploading a spreadsheet – if you have a lot of records, download our Excel template, fill it in and email it to us.
- Contributing to a Suffolk survey – the surveys listed above focus on specific species
where county-wide data is especially needed.
Records are verified by our county recorders before they’re added to the database. There can sometimes be a short delay before verified records appear. Once verified, records are also shared with the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas.
Before submitting, please read our data use and sharing policies.
A PDF guide to submitting records (Who, What, Where, When?) is available here.
County recorders
Suffolk’s county recorders are expert volunteers who verify records and coordinate recording for their taxon across the county. If you have a record you're unsure about, or want to get in touch about recording in your area, click on the relevant taxon name below to email the county recorder for that group.
Local recording and conservation groups
- Bury Water Meadows Group: working to protect and enhance the water meadows around Bury St Edmunds.
- Butterfly Conservation Suffolk Branch: coordinates butterfly recording across the county, with regular field meetings and indoor events.
- Cornard Environment and Wildlife Group: wildlife recording and conservation around Great Cornard and the Sudbury area.
- Dedham Vale & Stour Valley Volunteers: practical conservation volunteering across the Dedham Vale National Landscape.
- Eden Rose Coppice Trust: coppice woodland management near Sudbury.
- Felixstowe Citizen Science Group: supporting the Felixstowe Community Nature Reserve through data collection and wildlife recording.
- Green Light Trust: connecting people with nature through woodland and environmental activities, based in the Bury St Edmunds area.
- Ipswich Wildlife Group: a registered charity running practical conservation work parties at woodlands, waterways and green spaces around Ipswich.
- Lavenham Natural History Society: recording and studying local wildlife around Lavenham and south Suffolk.
- River Stour Trust: working to conserve and restore the River Stour and its natural environment along the Suffolk and Essex border.
- Suffolk Amphibian and Reptile Group: volunteers dedicated to recording and conserving Suffolk’s native amphibians and reptiles.
- Suffolk Bat Group: carrying out bat surveys and conservation work across the county since 1983.
- Suffolk Moth Group: runs moth nights and recording meetings across the county from May to October.
- Sudbury Common Lands Charity: managing the common lands of Sudbury for wildlife and public benefit.
Know of a group we’ve missed? Let us know.
National recording schemes
There are dozens of national schemes that welcome records from Suffolk. A few well-known ones are listed here – most can be submitted via iRecord as well as their own websites.
WILDLIFE
- Amphibian and Reptile Survey: Year-round
- Asian Hornet Watch: Year-round
- BeeWalk: March-October
- Big Butterfly Count: July-August
- Big Garden Birdwatch: January
- BDS Recording Scheme: May-September
- BTO Bird Surveys: Year-round
- Bugs Matter: May-September
- City Nature Challenge: April
- Dragon Finder App: Year-round
- Garden Butterfly Survey: Year-round
- Great Stag Hunt: Spring-Summer
- iNaturalist UK: Year-round
- Living with Mammals: Year-round
- Mammal Mapper: Year-round
- National Bat Monitoring Programme: Year-round
- National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme: Year-round
- National Moth Recording Scheme: Year-round
- National Polecat Survey: Year-round
- National Water Vole Monitoring Programme: April-June
- Nature’s Calendar: Year-round
- Oil Beetle Recording Scheme: Year-round
- UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme: Year-round
- UK Ladybird Survey: Year-round
- UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme: April-September
PLANT AND FUNGI
- Ancient Tree Inventory: Year-round
- Great British Hedgerow Survey: Year-round
- MistleGO!: November-February
- National Plant Monitoring Scheme: April onwards
- Traditional Orchard Survey: Year-round
- Waxcap Watch: September-November
MARINE AND COASTAL
- Big Seaweed Search: Year-round
- Great Eggcase Hunt: Year-round
- ORCA OceanWatchers: Year-round
- Seasearch: Year-round
- Shoresearch: Year-round