Equipment Awarded: 14 Song Meter Micros, 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
We will conduct or study in Amurum Forest Reserve, an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area in Laminga Jos-East, Plateau State, Nigeria. This area is home to many nocturnal avian species (Strigiformes and Caprimulgiformes) and natural habitats lost to urbanization and agriculture. Because nocturnal birds are cryptical and require specific census techniques that are only sometimes used, their distribution, ecology, and population size are poorly studied in the Afrotropics. Therefore, we will deploy Song Meter Micros across the three habitat types within the reserve—Gallery Forest, Rocky, and Savannah—to record nocturnal birds from astronomical dusk to dawn year-round. We will then extract and analyze recordings to determine species’ presence and absence, providing a comprehensive inventory and distribution to inform major conservation and management decisions in the Amurum and, eventually, all of Nigeria.
Equipment Awarded: 5 Song Meter Minis, 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License, Accessories
Our study will take place in Nepal’s Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR). DHR is identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and is thought to hold the country’s largest known population of cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichii). However, illegal hunting and trapping have led to a 71% decline in their population from 2003 to 2022. We'll deploy five Song Meter Minis in their habitat to better understand cheer pheasant breeding biology and identify natural and anthropogenic threats (including poachers). Taking this one step further, we’ll try to identify individual vocal patterns to count the area's total population of cheer pheasants. Data gathered will inform reserve managers on which sites to prioritize for protection and restrict human access to maintain safe breeding grounds. Additionally, we will educate the community and local students on the importance of the cheer pheasant and have planned to launch “Eco-Clubs” in schools.
Equipment Awarded: 2 Song Meter Minis, Recorder Accessories, and 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
Our research location is the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo, specifically, the “Rainforest Dome”—a tropical-themed exhibit that homes colorful species typically found in Indonesia, including eight IUCN-listed birds. We will use Song Meter Mini acoustic recorders and Kaleidoscope sound analysis software to create a 3D digital map of the exhibit and a call library of the 52 individual birds that live within it. Integrating this technology into our animal care practices will allow us to collect data more efficiently, making it possible to census and provide a well-rounded assessment of each animal. Changing our monitoring practices to incorporate bioacoustics also will create a more natural, low-stress environment to keep breeding pairs happy and reproducing. And because domed, spacious habitats like ours are typical for bird populations in human care, we intend to share our methodology with other zoological organizations that face similar challenges.
Equipment Awarded: 6 Song Meter Minis, 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License, Accessories
Our project will take place within the Delaware Estuary—a tidal system in the mid-Atlantic United States dominated by salt marshes and home to roughly 60 ESA-listed or locally at-risk species. Unfortunately, this sensitive habitat is declining due to sea-level rise. We aim to understand if (and how) a saltmarsh soundscape changes as a result of restoration activities. To do this, we’ll deploy ARUs at four sites flagged for habitat restoration for one full breeding season before activities begin. This will allow us to collect, code, and compare soundscape complexity and the presence/absence of indicator species before and after restoration. This data will be invaluable to restoration ecology as it can help ensure that multi-goal salt marsh restoration projects positively impact wildlife and habitat. Our work can potentially inform other acoustic research projects in the Delaware Bay region and beyond.
Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.
3 Mill and Main Place, Suite 210
Maynard, MA 01754-2657 USA
+1 (978) 369-5225
+1 (888) 733-0200