What is this project about?
Neeracherried is a 105 ha protected lowland fen area in Switzerland, which is of central importance as a breeding and resting place for many bird species. Regular monitoring of the protected area includes, among other things, surveys of the bird species present. Typical inhabitants of the fen are, for example, various species of the rail family. Using acoustic surveys the aims of the project are to clarify; which species of rail occur in this wetland and where the birds reside within the protected area.
What does OekoFor do?
We developed the device ecoPi:Bird for the acoustic recording of bird calls. In the “Neeracherried” project, the ecoPi:Bird devices are additionally required be able to determine the location of calling birds. We therefore modified the ecoPi:Bird and developed the ecoPi:Bird-2D.
The ecoPi:Bird-2D has two microphones, which allow stereo recordings of bird calls and makes it possible to locate the calling bird using acoustic time differences. More information on the functionality and design of this device can be found in our ecoPi:Bird-2D portfolio article.
In addition to the development of these modified detection devices, OekoFor are also responsible for analysing the data. With the help of machine learning, it is possible to carry out an automated evaluation of the recordings. For this purpose we are developing our own neuronal network, which can be applied to the acoustic recordings of the ecoPi:Bird and ecoPi:Bird-2D devices, automatically recognizing the individual vocalizations of the target bird species in each recording.
Depending on where a bird is situated relative to the ecoPiBird-2D its call will arrive at one microphone earlier than at the other. Using these time differences and the method of triangulation it is possible to locate calling birds. In this way the occurrence, as well as the spatial behaviour, of different rail species can be studied in detail.
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An ecoPi:Bird-2D installed in the protected area Neeracherried.
© BirdLife Schweiz -
A BirdLife Switzerland staff member checking the equipment.
© BirdLife Schweiz -
spotted crake (Porzana porzana)
© H. Reers
Further links
Information about the protected area Neeracherried (unfortunately not available in english):
News
February 2021:
- The first recording season was successfully completed in 2020. The data collected so far are currently being checked and prepared for evaluation.
- Preparation for the 2021 recording season is underway.
Client & Partners
BirdLife Switzerland assigned this project on the acoustic recording of rails to us. On site our work is supported by the staff of BirdLife Switzerland and the BirdLife Nature Center Neeracherried.
