I’m the top observer of Clethra alnifolia, Drosera intermedia, and Rhexia virginica
I lead around 80 species as the top observer but most are e
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So many beetle species. Granted, I’ve got a special interest in such underreported species, currently warty leaf beetles and other chrysomelids are the center of my attention, but some of these beetles are just everywhere on plants this time of year. Also, here’s a fun script-website somebody made to see which observations you have that are least-reported on iNat. I’d reckon that this is an easy way to check which genera you have high leaderboard stats of, if the organism is seldom reported. https://elias.pschernig.com/wildflower/leastobserved.html
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I’m the top observer of Rhizostomatid Jellies (Family Rhizostomatidae) in Southern Africa, and #2 in the world
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I have the most observations and most species for my entire state (Salzburg) (even though I only observe plants). Which is bad, just means I’m about the only iNaturalist user here. I have the second most orchid observations and most orchid species in my country (Austria).
And what I never checked before but find really surprising now, with 3170 observations I seem to have the 8th-most orchid observations on inaturalist. Maybe I’m more obsessed than I thought.
(As for actual leaderboards, I’m the top observer of a few orchids species, but nothing too surprising about that.)
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But most are e… what? What are they??? 
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I’m the top identifier of many vascular plants just by virtue of having been here so long. Which is a bit of a confounding factor in these leaderboards since it’s impossible to tell if someone is truly a leading expert in that taxon or has just added lots of identifications over time.
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Weelll, I get your point, but presumably if one has added lots of identifications over time, one has also acquired a certain amount of expertise during that time…
Experts don’t necessarily start out as experts.
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I joined back in October of last year and was surprised a couple months ago to realize I’m the top observer for Phylum Ctenophora (comb jellies) worldwide:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=51508&view=observers
Granted, I’ve added in observations from the past several years of photos I have, but it really highlighted to me how under-observed it is in terms of folks posting on iNaturalist.
Another one I’m the top observer for at species level is Clytia gregaria, which I think of as a very common jelly at least locally to me, and I represent over a third of the worldwide observations of the animal.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/195428-Clytia-gregaria
I’m also surprised by how few observations there are of larvaceans worldwide. They can be tricky to photograph, but in the Salish Sea I find them to be ubiquitous, if unassuming. For the entire family Oikopleuridae there are only 159 observations, and I represent 62 of them. I unfortunately haven’t gotten acquainted with ID’ing them down to species so most aren’t very specific /research grade.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/485079-Oikopleuridae
There are others but these are the main ones that came as a surprise when I realized. So many of the pelagic gelatinous kind of critters seem to be very under-observed.
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I’m 3rd for Verifiable examples of English/Common Lavender. It surprises me for two reasons; first, it’s a really common pavement weed around me, and yet nobody else in the UK seems to have noticed it around them, despite it usually being pretty conspicuous, and secondly, well, I’m in the UK - a climate hardly like it’s native Mediterranean!
3rd for Horse Chestnut (again; it’s really common self-sown where I am, but I’m nowhere near it’s native Balkans), 4th for Buddleja davidii (maybe I just spend too much time near waste ground?,
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Pavement weeds during lockdown
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A few years ago I wrote a journal post about my surprise on being near the top of a lot of leaderboards, but now I don’t seem to be able to find that post.
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There are several taxa I’m surprised I am the top observer of, but more-so I am surprised that I am #1 in terms of species in the state of Mississippi, USA. I am also up there in terms of observations, but it surprises me considering how much biodiversity we have, and I don’t even own a car! I’m in the top 10 for the state in most other higher level taxonomic groups as well, at least in terms of species.
I do wish that there was a way to see a chart of all the species you are the top observer of.
In specific taxa, to make this list short, I am the top observer of Mississippi Slimy Salamander and Agalinis fasciculata.
Top observer of Lythrurus roseipinnis despite it having a fairly decent range size, and I find it odd that I am the top observer of Lenophyllum texanum despite all of my observations being from a single introduced population, fairly far away from its native range of Texas and Mexico
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When I ‘flag for missing sp’ I add the new ID as a placeholder.
As soon as a second ID comes in (whether from the observer, or a competent identifier) I withdraw mine.
I do not want to be on a leaderboard with my one, helpful, ID !
I spent a week in Ireland on holiday earlier this year, and it amazed me that I found myself third among about a 1000 spider observers in the country after that week. I just assumed that the observers there use other platforms as well?
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The majority of my observations are of charismatic species - birds of prey, large mammals, etc.
About 9 years ago I photographed my first gyrfalcon, and as of this past winter I’ve totalled 16 observations. I’m a bit surprised that this puts me at the top of the global list. All my observations have been made within an hours drive of Calgary, so a good ways from the nearest tundra where this species is most commonly thought of inhabiting.
Grain elevators provide winter forage for pigeons, and pigeons sustain the gyrfalcons while they are on their winter vacation. We also see a large population of winter-resident rough-legged hawks (I’m top of that global list also, @ 354 observations) and annually variable numbers of snowy owls, and northern shrikes, so gyrfalcons aren’t the only birds of prey that over-winter here.
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Earlier today I was going through Franklinia alatamaha observations which weren’t marked as cultivated yet, and sent them all to casual (F. alatamaha has been extinct in the wild for over 200 years, but is a popular garden plant.)
And I found a Stewartia pseudocamellia in there, and noticed how similar they looked. (I work at an arboretum with an interest in Stewartia so I have a certain expertise.) And so naturally I went through pretty much every observation that’s ever been uploaded in the whole world, and now I’m #1 on every single leaderboard of Stewartia. So uhh… maybe a bit too enthusiastic haha.
But by doing that, I also found a first species for iNat. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/51505742
So I’d say it’s worth it.
And I still have to go through the biggest group of Stewartia tomorrow, so I’ll stay #1 for a while… oh well.
Much love to all.
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I love this species! I’m in their native range, and they can be quite elusive (at least in my experience). Maybe that could be why!
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how do you check what leaderboards your on? Just go species to species and check individually?
That’s what I did. Pulled up my lifelist in one tab and the Explore window in another and just searched species by species looking for the ones for which I showed up in the Top 3 identifiers or observers.
What surprised me is getting tagged from Madagascar and Mexico for some Rosulabryum observations.
I mostly identify these within 200 km from where I live and a lot of them only to genus, still ended up second worldwide.
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