Observation Data Dictionary

Observations are delivered in shapefile format. For those without GIS software, the .dbf file associated with the shapefile may be opened and saved in Excel (it includes all the attributes associated with the shapefile). Observation records that are mapped very imprecisely (i.e., coarser than township-level) are omitted from standard data exports.

Observation Data File Formats

Attribute Description Hidden for Sensitive Records?
row_id Unique row identifier for each individual request No
obs_id Unique ID used internally by WYNDD's database to identify the observation record No
sensitive Data included in record is sensitive (see Data Sensitivity Policy) No
taxgroup Taxonomic group to which taxon belongs (e.g. Vertebrate Animals, Vascular Plants) No
taxgroup2 More specific information about higher taxonomy
  • Vertebrate Animals: Common Name of Taxonomic Class
  • Invertebrate Animals: Scientific Name of Taxonomic Order (Common Name of Taxonomic Order)
  • Vascular Plants, Nonvascular Plants, and Lichens: Scientific Name of Taxonomic Family
 No
sciname Scientific name of the observed taxon No
comname Common name of the observed taxon No
vrbtm_tax Name of taxon as provided to WYNDD No
observer Name(s) of the person or people who made the observation Yes
obsdate Date of the observation No
year Year of the observation No
month Month of the observation No
day Day of the observation No
date_other If date was provided in a non-standard format (e.g., "96-Summer"), the original date information is provided here No
date_error If date was not precise, error is given in days (e.g., "96-Summer," OBSDATE will be displayed as July 15, 1996, with DATE_ERROR of 60 days) No
det_circum Description of circumstance leading to the observation: unknown, incidental, or survey No
tally Total of all individuals recorded as part of an observation, unless provided as a range, see tally_desc for more details No
tally_desc Verbal description of tally or tallies associated with the observation (e.g. 3 adult males and 2 adult females) Yes
activity Activity of observed animal(s) No
flag Additional flags that may be attached to the observation record No
dwelling Dwelling features attached to the observation record No
measuremnt Any measurements associated with observed taxon No
hlth_mort Health and/or mortality information of observed taxon No
specimen Description of associated specimen(s), including repository, collection identification information, etc. No
habitat Habitat description Yes
obs_com General notes about the observation Yes
biol_eval Result of a WYNDD biologist's evaluation of the record No
eval_com Biologist comments about their confidence in the record Yes
eval_date Date of WYNDD biologist evaluation No
eval_by Name of biologist that evaluated record No
sys_cnflct
System generated notes describing any conflict(s) detected during an automated system evaluation of record.
 
  • activity: e.g. "flying" when taxon is a frog
  • detectability_date: e.g. "Dec 10" when taxon is a frog
  • life_stage: e.g. "yearling" when taxon is a frog
  • life_history: reproduction or migration indicated but not known in area
  • mapping: possible error in mapping, consult other errors
  • measurement: an unusual measurement was recorded
  • obsdate: possible issue with reported date
  • occurrence: taxon is listed as absent in area
  • tally: an unusual number of individuals was recorded (50 grizzlies)

    Conflicts don't necessarily mean there is a problem with the record. They are indicated when observed attributes fall outside set evaluation criteria. Evaluation criteria are modified from time to time based on incoming information.
 No
loc_desc Verbal description provided by observer about the location (e.g. top of hill) Yes
loc_error Mapping error or uncertainty for the observation record, expressed in meters No
location Location name, if provided Yes
longitude When orig_geom = ST_Point then longitude is provided. Note: loc_error must be considered when assessing if this is the actual location where the observation was made. Yes
latitude When orig_geom = ST_Point then latitude is provided. Note: loc_error must be considered when assessing if this is the actual location where the observation was made. Yes
orig_geom
Geometry type (e.g. point, line, poly) from which record was added to WYNDD database.
 No
wyndd_soc WYNDD Species of Concern ranking No
s_rank Wyoming risk of extirpation, based on a standardized ranking system coordinated by NatureServe No
g_rank Global risk of extirpation, based on a standardized ranking system coordinated by NatureServe No
usfws_esa Current status under the Endangered Species Act No
blm_wy BLM sensitive status No
usfs_sens USFS sensitive status, by USFS Region No
usfs_solc USFS Species of Local Concern designation, by Forest/Grassland No
wgfd_nss Wyoming Game and Fish Department Native Species Status No
wgfd_tier Wyoming Game and Fish Department Tier rankings No
wgfd_sgcn Wyoming Game and Fish Department Species of Greatest Conservation Need No
wy_contrib WYNDD ranking system indicating the contribution of Wyoming populations of a taxon to the rangewide persistence of that taxon No
orig_uid Unique identifier for observation within a given dataset (may or may not have been provided by original data source) No
other_id Identifiers associated with the record (may be unique or non-unique), but use orid_uid to see unique identifier for observation within a given dataset. No
area Area of spatial feature representing observation (includes loc_error). No
assoc_code Codes associated with the record Yes
dataset Name or description of the dataset containing the record, as provided to WYNDD Yes
data_src Source of the observation record (generally an organization or individual) Yes
taxon_id Unique ID used internally by WYNDD's database to identify the observed taxon No
loc_id Unique ID used internally by WYNDD's database to identify the location record associated with the observation Yes