New AI study reveals secrets in forest birds' songs!

New AI study reveals secrets in forest birds' songs!

A research team from University of Göttingen and the Northwest German Forestry Research Institute recently published a comprehensive study examining the song activity of 53 European forest bird species. The aim of this study, which appeared in the Journal of Ornithology, was to obtain data on the daily and seasonal fluctuations in song activity. The researchers collected their data at 256 locations in forests in Lower Saxony. Between March and May, bird calls were recorded for 30 seconds every 10 minutes using automatic recorders.

By using artificial intelligence (AI), it was possible to identify the different bird species based on their calls and the AI's suggestions were checked by the researchers. A total of 6.4 million vocalizations were analyzed. The results of the study show that forest bird species have individual activity patterns and that there are more activity types than just the common categories such as “larks” and “owls”.

Diversity of activity patterns

What is particularly interesting is that some species such as the blackbird and the woodcock are crepuscular, meaning that their songs are particularly noticeable at dusk. It was noticeable that the blackbird was heard more often in the evening than in the morning. There are significant differences in activity behavior among diurnal species, and some do not begin to become active until April. Nocturnal species and migratory birds also form their own groups, which illustrates the complexity of bird songs.

The results of this study often do not agree with previous recommendations for recording breeding birds. For example, the great spotted woodpecker is not easily detectable throughout the morning, but shows less activity two hours after sunrise. But other species such as the blue tit and the chiffchaff also often show their singing activity outside of the recommended recording periods.

A combination of classic bird counts and acoustic methods can improve the recording of bird species. The study results are also included in the new edition of the book “Methodological standards for recording Germany’s breeding birds”, which underlines the relevance of these innovations in nature conservation.

The importance of biodiversity monitoring

The Biodiversity monitoring Not only does it make an important contribution to nature conservation, it also offers companies a variety of benefits that go beyond ecological aspects. Artenglück records and analyzes scientifically based data on biodiversity on managed areas. This data is visualized in a dashboard that is used to evaluate the added value of nature conservation measures.

Companies can measure the impact of their investments in biodiversity-related projects as part of their CSR strategy. Accurate information enables targeted use of resources and effective nature conservation measures, which strengthens the trust of stakeholders. The transparent presentation of nature conservation activities not only improves the company's image, but also helps to counteract accusations of greenwashing.

Another central aspect of nature conservation includes the development of nationwide insect monitoring to collect long-term data on changes in the population of insect fauna. Loud Federal Agency for Nature Conservation A national biodiversity monitoring center will also be set up to bundle and further develop the activities of the various actors in the area of ​​biological diversity.

These measures lay the foundation for reliable data on biological diversity in Germany, which is essential for future nature conservation strategies.