Why 1,000 iconic species?
I love birding. The lists. The chase. The challenge. But my earliest expeditions in the wildlife world were anchored around big cats! Lions, Leopards, Tigers.
So when we set out to take on a wildlife quest of epic proportions, there was a clear answer. We need a list. And not just any list. The ultimate wildlife list that brings together the most iconic species across the entire Animal Kingdom… Enter the 1000 Iconic Species List.
Our team worked for weeks to come up with a simple, but effective approach to identifying who would make the cut. The discussion was fiery. At one point Zander put Tobin in a headlock over a disagreement on a certain avian's eligibility. But after considerable sweat and tears, the dust settled.
And where we landed?
Notoriety and Rarity. The WOW factor combined with how hard it is to find it.
Below is an example of how it works.
Most IconicSnow LeopardPanthera unciaNotoriety10/10Rareness10/10Most iconic: famous AND nearly impossible to see.
Postcard TierAfrican LionPanthera leoNotoriety10/10Rareness4/10Postcard tier: every kid knows it; you can still see it on safari.
Hidden GemPalilaLoxioides bailleuiNotoriety4/10Rareness10/10Hidden gem: a Hawaiian honeycreeper on the brink — and almost nobody outside ornithology has heard of it.
CommonCotton RatSigmodon hispidusNotoriety2/10Rareness2/10Common: found across the Americas, and almost nobody can picture one.
The Storyteller
Mike McGovern
Mike McGovern is a wildlife storyteller and naturalist who has spent the past decade closing the distance between iconic species and your feed — from tigers in the jungles of South Asia to sharks in the open Pacific. His camera is the window to the 1,000 iconic species on this list, there to capture every one of them in the frame and share them with everyone tracking the expedition.
Aided by a motley crew of naturalists, educators, and storytellers, he's spearheading the expedition to be the first to document the most iconic animals on the planet.
Welcome to the expedition. Walk slowly. The best sightings happen quietly.
