Scientists are developing an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to count barn owl chicks by the sound of their calls to avoid disturbing their nests.
PhD student Kavisha Jayathunge, at Bournemouth University, is leading the project to prevent the young birds from being affected by the installation of video cameras to monitor them.
He is working with biologist-turned-electronics engineer Brian Cresswell to create the computer model which can calculate the number of owls by being able to distinguish their individual calls.
Mr Jayathunge said: “We’re using AI to count baby barn owls by sound instead of disturbing them in their nests with video cameras.
“This helps reduce stress on the birds and could give us data from natural nest sites, which are often inaccessible for monitoring, not just the artificial nest boxes where most of the data we currently have comes from.”
He explained the AI technology would be able to identify distinctions in sounds made by each baby owl which would be indistinguishable to the human ear.
It would pick out the differences in frequency which would indicate the number of birds, as well as each individual bird’s identity.
He added: “Bringing AI and ecology together in such a positive way is a great example of how this technology can be used for good.”
Mr Cresswell, who has helped test the technology on nest boxes in north Dorset, said: “This basic data is important for monitoring breeding success of barn owls, which can vary greatly between years and breeding sites.
“The AI model is also a great research tool to study the behaviour of young owls and the purpose of their hissing, which is believed to be a means to negotiate who will get fed at the next food delivery by their parents.
“There may also be potential for the hissing analyses to determine how hungry the owlets are, which again is important data for monitoring breeding success.”
Mr Jayathunge said the long-term aim of the project was to develop the technology so volunteers and conservationists would be able to capture the sounds of hissing owlets at their nests.
He explained that barn owl hissing was loud so audio recorders could be placed away from the nests to help abide by strict protocols which protect barn owls and their nests under Schedule One of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
He added: “It has great potential for citizen science as it doesn’t require expensive and specialist equipment – anyone could gather recordings and send them for analysis.
“By making barn owl nest monitoring more scalable and less invasive, we hope this project can contribute to better long-term outcomes for the species.”
