Online Isle of Man wildlife records reach milestone

Insects, including the small tortoiseshell butterfly, have been recorded

One million wildlife records charting Manx fauna and flora have been made available online.

The data was collected for the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas as part of a wider British Isles project.

Data on populations and locations of animals, birds, marine wildlife and plants has been gathered by the Manx Biological Recording Partnership.

Jo Judge, of the NBN Trust, said the "fantastic achievement" was due to the "dedication" of those involved.

The Manx Biological Recording Partnership includes the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, Manx Wildlife Trust and Manx National Heritage (MNH), as well as specialist wildlife groups and volunteers.

Data on 130 bird species on the Isle of Man, including the sparrowhawk, has been recorded

The records have been added to the NBN Atlas Isle of Man during the past two years.

Laura McCoy, MNH natural history curator, said the milestone meant there were "more records per square kilometre from the Isle of Man than any other country" represented on the network,

The project would "provide the evidence base for all environmental decision-making", Ms McCoy said.

She continued: "These records are an excellent tool to measure the natural world, and when looking at data over a long period of time you can get a feel for how things are changing out there.

"The more data the better, as it makes the picture clearer."