Oldest records
Species whose earliest surviving record is the oldest. Mostly museum specimens collected by 19th-century naturalists.
brown bear
Ursus arctos · first recorded 1501
Little Owl
Athene noctua · first recorded 1510
Atlantic cod
Gadus morhua · first recorded 1520
Atlantic herring
Clupea harengus · first recorded 1520
sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus · first recorded 1520
fin whale
Balaenoptera physalus · first recorded 1531
Northern Gannet
Morus bassanus · first recorded 1534
Razorbill
Alca torda · first recorded 1534
Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arctica · first recorded 1534
black rat
Rattus rattus · first recorded 1538
European hare
Lepus europaeus · first recorded 1545
Sea trout
Salmo trutta · first recorded 1551
Atlantic Salmon
Salmo salar · first recorded 1551
European otter
Lutra lutra · first recorded 1557
Small Blue
Cupido minimus · first recorded 1559
European roe deer
Capreolus capreolus · first recorded 1574
red fox
Vulpes vulpes · first recorded 1574
western honey bee
Apis mellifera · first recorded 1574
wild boar
Sus scrofa · first recorded 1574
red deer
Cervus elaphus · first recorded 1574
European badger
Meles meles · first recorded 1574
Red-legged Partridge
Alectoris rufa · first recorded 1574
wildcat
Felis silvestris · first recorded 1574
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula · first recorded 1575
Common Raven
Corvus corax · first recorded 1575
Common Wood-Pigeon
Columba palumbus · first recorded 1575
Eurasian Magpie
Pica pica · first recorded 1575
Mute Swan
Cygnus olor · first recorded 1575
Eurasian Kestrel
Falco tinnunculus · first recorded 1575
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Dendrocopos major · first recorded 1575
Graylag Goose
Anser anser · first recorded 1575
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius · first recorded 1575
Great Crested Grebe
Podiceps cristatus · first recorded 1575
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Accipiter nisus · first recorded 1575
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus · first recorded 1575
Common Crane
Grus grus · first recorded 1575
White Stork
Ciconia ciconia · first recorded 1575
Eurasian Griffon
Gyps fulvus · first recorded 1575
European Eel
Anguilla anguilla · first recorded 1575
Eurasian red squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris · first recorded 1575
hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus · first recorded 1575
Eurasian Hobby
Falco subbuteo · first recorded 1575
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos · first recorded 1575
European Turtle-Dove
Streptopelia turtur · first recorded 1575
Common Quail
Coturnix coturnix · first recorded 1575
cow
Bos taurus · first recorded 1575
Red-billed Chough
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax · first recorded 1575
gray wolf
Canis lupus · first recorded 1575
Beech Marten
Martes foina · first recorded 1575
domestic sheep
Ovis aries · first recorded 1575
Bearded Vulture
Gypaetus barbatus · first recorded 1575
Black-bellied Sandgrouse
Pterocles orientalis · first recorded 1575
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse
Pterocles alchata · first recorded 1575
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia · first recorded 1576
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus · first recorded 1576
Great Bittern
Botaurus stellaris · first recorded 1576
Black Francolin
Francolinus francolinus · first recorded 1576
Moorish Gecko
Tarentola mauritanica · first recorded 1579
ocean sunfish
Mola mola · first recorded 1583
Eurasian beaver
Castor fiber · first recorded 1594
blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus · first recorded 1594
long-finned pilot whale
Globicephala melas · first recorded 1594
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss · first recorded 1598
Great Egret
Ardea alba · first recorded 1599
Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles · first recorded 1599
southern elephant seal
Mirounga leonina · first recorded 1599
White-faced Heron
Egretta novaehollandiae · first recorded 1599
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla · first recorded 1599
Eastern Spinebill
Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris · first recorded 1599
Little Penguin
Eudyptula minor · first recorded 1599
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons · first recorded 1599
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
Haliaeetus leucogaster · first recorded 1599
loggerhead sea turtle
Caretta caretta · first recorded 1599
cat
Felis catus · first recorded 1599
Alpine ibex
Capra ibex · first recorded 1599
short-tailed shearwater
Puffinus tenuirostris · first recorded 1599
White-fronted Tern
Sterna striata · first recorded 1599
Goldfish
Carassius auratus · first recorded 1599
Leatherback
Dermochelys coriacea · first recorded 1599
Soft-plumaged Petrel
Pterodroma mollis · first recorded 1599
leopard seal
Hydrurga leptonyx · first recorded 1599
Common wall lizard
Podarcis muralis · first recorded 1600
Eurasian lynx
Lynx lynx · first recorded 1600
hooded seal
Cystophora cristata · first recorded 1600
Dunlin
Calidris alpina · first recorded 1609
Rook
Corvus frugilegus · first recorded 1610
Haddock
Melanogrammus aeglefinus · first recorded 1613
Eurasian Hoopoe
Upupa epops · first recorded 1626
Black-eared Wheatear
Oenanthe hispanica · first recorded 1627
Great Cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo · first recorded 1635
Black Swan
Cygnus atratus · first recorded 1636
European chub
Squalius cephalus · first recorded 1637
Swordfish
Xiphias gladius · first recorded 1639
European sprat
Sprattus sprattus · first recorded 1639
Atlantic mackerel
Scomber scombrus · first recorded 1639
Smallspotted catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula · first recorded 1639
Thornback Ray
Raja clavata · first recorded 1639
Lumpfish
Cyclopterus lumpus · first recorded 1639
Ruff
Calidris pugnax · first recorded 1647
Minnow
Phoxinus phoxinus · first recorded 1650