Identification help via Facebook
Found something interesting? The Museum's identification service has a Facebook group to help answer all you queries on plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals found in the British Isles.
Have you found a strange bug or a new plant in your garden, or stumbled across an intriguing animal bone or fossil while out on a country walk? Let us help you find out more about it.
You can use our downloadable guides and mobile apps to identify UK plants and animals and learn more about them.
If you need more help, then our dedicated team at the Museum's Identification and Advisory Service can answer your queries about insects, fossils, plants and other wildlife and natural history specimens found in the UK.
Commercial enquiries
If your business requires advice or an identification of an object from the natural world (such as an insect, tooth, pest ID or CITES identification etc.) please contact our commercial service.
Spiders in your home
Guides to some of the commonest spider species you will find in UK homes.
Trees
Identify evergreen and deciduous trees with this step-by-step guide.
Bats
Learn the key identifying features of five of Britain's most common bats.
Common insect pest species in homes
Guides on a number of common insect pest species that can be found in homes and cause damage to food, furniture, clothes and plants.
Orchids
This guide introduces 29 native species of UK orchid, gives details of how to identify them and where they may be found.
Pocket bumblebee guide
A pocket-sized ID guide to the six main species of UK bumblebees.
Common UK insect and other terrestrial invertebrate groups
A beginner's guide to the common groups of terrestrial invertebrates found in Britain. Covers insects and non-insect invertebrates separately.
Seaweeds
Find out about some of the seaweeds around the British coast, both native and non-native.
Download the Big Seaweed Search guide PDF(3.4MB)
Visit the Big Seaweed Search webpage to help us record how seaweeds may be being affected by climate change.
Amphibians
Discover more about the frogs, toads and newts found in British ponds.
British Mammal Bones
Identify twelve of the most prevalent wild and domestic mammals in the UK.
Fossil Explorer app
Uncover the ancient plant and animal fossils hidden beneath your feet with our free app. Available for iOS and Android devices.
How-to video guides
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British wildlifeNight life: how to spot insects in the dark
What nocturnal insects will you find where you live?
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British wildlife
How to press flowers
Follow our simple instructions to prepare pressed flowers for craft projects or create your own plant herbarium.
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British wildlife
How to make a pitfall trap to catch insects and other minibeasts
Want to find out what small creatures are crawling around your garden? Follow our steps to set up a simple pitfall trap.
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British wildlife
How to go rockpooling
Want to explore the life lurking in seashore rock pools? Find out what you need and what you might see.
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British wildlife
How to make a bird box
Putting up a nesting box could be a big help to your local birds. Our simple design is ideal for small songbirds and sparrows.
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British wildlife
How to make and use a nature journal to record your wildlife observations
Keeping a nature journal is a great way to record any nature you see.
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British wildlife
How to make a hedgehog house
Follow our instructions to make a simple hedgehog home.
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British wildlife
How to make a footprint tunnel that reveals what wildlife visits your garden
Have you ever wondered what wildlife wanders through your garden when you're not watching?
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Specialist guides
Ichneumonids
A guide to 38 of Britain's most recognisable ichneumonid wasps.
Beginner's guide to identifying British ichneumonids PDF (7.8MB)
Vegetative guide to orchids
An aid to identifying 39 orchid species when they are not in flower.
Beginner's vegetative guide to orchids of the British Isles PDF (8.8MB)
British Tenthredo (sawflies)
A pictorial guide to the 30 species of Tenthredo sawfly found in Britain.
Beginner’s guide to identifying British Tenthredo PDF (156MB)
Beetle pinning guide
Advice on how to prepare beetle specimens.
Lichens on twigs
An illustrated interactive guide to more than 60 lichens.
British grasses
A multi-access key to the common families of British grasses, on the Tomorrow's Biodiversity website.
Getting help from our experts
The Museum's Identification and Advisory Service can answer your queries about insects, fossils, plants and other wildlife and natural history specimens found in the UK.
You can contact them by email, phone, post, or in person at our Museum in London. Please include as much detail as possible about the specimen, including:
- A detailed description
- Where and when you saw it
- Its approximate size (including a common object, such as a coin, in any photo is helpful)
Email your images and detailed descriptions to:
- For life sciences, such as bugs, bones, and plants: bug@nhm.ac.uk
- For earth sciences, such as meteorites, minerals, rocks and fossils: esid@nhm.ac.uk
Or visit the service's Facebook page.
For other ways to contact the ID team, please visit the Centre for UK Biodiversity's page.
Commercial enquiries
If your business has wildlife identification needs, please contact our commercial service.
Digital nature journal
Whatever you've seen, our digital nature journal gives you a free and easy way to keep track of it all.
Centre for UK Biodiversity
Develop your natural history skills and interests with the help of our staff, facilities and resources.
Citizen science
Contribute to scientific research at the Museum. Take part in a wildlife survey, or help us online utilising the information we hold digitaly.