Lower Rio Grande Valley The City Nature Challenge is a global, city-scale urban biodiversity BioBlitz. This year’s event was a world-wide collaborative effort rather than a competition. Data collection Apr 29-May 3 Identifications May 4-9 Black-spotted newt, Drew R. Davis, Aplomado Falcon, Christopher PhD, iNaturalist, CCBY-NC Lindsey, iNaturalist, CCBY-NC By the numbers: • 4 counties • More than 7,900 observations • More than 1,700 species recorded Participating Counties: • 153 observers Cameron Hidalgo • More than 490 identifiers Starr • Over 89% of observations were Willacy verifiable Lower Rio Grande Valley Highlights Globally, 419 cities from 44 countries participated in the 2021 City Nature Challenge. Lower Rio Grande Valley ranked #38 for Observations, #23 for Species, and #99 for Observers globally, placing it in the top 11% of projects. The City Nature Challenge is organized by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences. More information at citynaturechallenge.org Lower Rio Grande Valley Cumulative Impact 56% of the observations recorded during the City Nature Challenge in the LRGV area were Research Grade - observations of wild organisms with photo 56% of all Observations or sound vouchers of a quality to merit a to Research species-level identification by the majority of Grade identifiers. During the 4 days of the event, the project saw: • 58 Species of Greatest Conservation Need at Research Grade (see list) • 80 new species records in iNaturalist • 3% increase in iNaturalist observations for the project counties • Project page: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021- lower-rio-grande-valley Texas tortoise, Roberto Gaitan, Wilson’s Plover, David J. Ringer, Climbing milkweed, jiromero, iNaturalist, CCBY-NC iNaturalist, CCBY-NC iNaturalist, CCBY-NC The City Nature Challenge is organized by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences. More information at citynaturechallenge.org Lower Rio Grande Valley Species of Greatest Conservation Need Recorded to Research Grade Montell bractspike, Yeatesia platystegia Mississippi Kite, Ictinia mississippiensis American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Mottled Duck, Anas fulvigula Aplomado Falcon, Falco femoralis Northern Bobwhite, Colinus virginianus Bailey's ballmoss, Tillandsia baileyi Northern Harrier, Circus hudsonius Bewick's Wren, Thryomanes bewickii Orchard Oriole, Icterus spurius Black Skimmer, Rynchops niger Painted Bunting, Passerina ciris Black-spotted Newt, Notophthalmus meridionalis Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus Black-striped Snake, Coniophanes imperialis Red-crowned Parrot, Amazona viridigenalis Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis Reddish Egret, Egretta rufescens Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Calidris subruficollis Rio Grande Ayenia, Ayenia limitaris Chuck-will's-widow, Antrostomus carolinensis Rio Grande Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus intermedia Common Mexican Tree Frog, Smilisca baudinii Runyon's Water Willow, Justicia runyonii Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Tyrannus forficatus Dickcissel, Spiza americana Snowy Egret, Egretta thula Duraznillo, Prunus texana Speckled Racer, Drymobius margaritiferus Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna Stilt Sandpiper, Calidris himantopus Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra Franklin's Gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan Swainson's Hawk, Buteo swainsoni Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammodramus savannarum Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum Gray Hawk, Buteo plagiatus Texas Indigo Snake, Drymarchon melanurus erebennus Green Heron, Butorides virescens Texas Tortoise, Gopherus berlandieri Green Parakeet, Psittacara holochlorus Tricolored Heron, Egretta tricolor Gull-billed Tern, Gelochelidon nilotica Vasey's Wild Lime, Adelia vaseyi Harris's Hawk, Parabuteo unicinctus White-faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi Lark Sparrow, Chondestes grammacus White-tailed Hawk, Geranoaetus albicaudatus Least Bittern, Ixobrychus exilis Wilson's Plover, Charadrius wilsonia Least Tern, Sternula antillarum Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus americanus Little Blue Heron, Egretta caerulea Loggerhead Shrike, Lanius ludovicianus Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus The City Nature Challenge is organized by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences. More information at citynaturechallenge.org .