Artificial intelligence is being used to learn about native birds in a Christchurch park.
A mobile bird monitor has been recording sounds at Barnett Park in Redcliffs for the past two years. It then uploads the data to an AI.
Cacophony Project manager Matthew Hellicar said a major accomplishment of the monitor was discovering the presence of little owls in the valley.
The species was introduced to the South Island from Germany between 1906 and 1910.
Little owl readings have been small in number but consistent so far, said Hellicar.
“Without the technology, what you get is anecdotal evidence. People might hear something at night time,” he said.
“As soon as we know what we’re trying to protect, we know where to focus our efforts to support breeding habitats.”
Invented in 2016, the so-called ‘cacophonator’ analyses bird songs which then identifies the species and detects sound volume.
“It gives you a measure of the population. It’s impossible to tell specifically how many of each bird you’re hearing, but it’s a sample of the population that tells you whether the population is doing well or not.”
The monitor will have to run for several more years before more accurate estimates of population changes are made, but the technology already gives volunteers an idea of what birds are in the park, said Hellicar.
There are about eight species confirmed in the park from native silvereyes to bellbirds and swallows.
Silvereyes are the individual species with the highest amount of sounds recorded with more than 200 confirmed readings since the monitor was installed.
Cacophony also wants to help attract more native species like tūī.
The current AI distinguishes between 15 bird species, providing a method of monitoring species diversity in the park.
The Cacophony Project provides data to the park’s regreening group and Predator Free Redcliffs as part of a united effort to protect native birds.
Hellicar joined Cacophony and other groups like the Summit Road Society in 2016 after moving from the United Kingdom.
“My first realisation when I got involved with our trapping and monitoring processes in New Zealand was that our data is really poor.”
“We’re building the cacophony index of how loud the birdsong is.”
There are six volunteers in the park regreening group who regularly monitor the artificial intelligence’s analysis, said Hellicar.
The volunteers listen to the monitor recordings and confirm whether the artificial intelligence is correct in identifying the species.
“That’s how the AI is learning, so it’s really critical.”
