Status: Completed
Start date: 1 January 2020
Completion date: 30 November 2022
Project code: P01-T-002
Species: Starlings
Download project report (PDF, 6.33 MB)
Passive acoustic surveillance (PAS) technology was used in this project to create, trial and demonstrate the benefits of detecting pest or threatened species acoustically (thus helping prevent invasive species establishing).
The project team deployed multiple units in key locations, building on an automated remote detection system developed for starlings and Asian black-spined toad.
The objectives of this project were:
A working prototype device is collecting data from Adelaide. A second different approach to audio processing is also being developed. Both approaches are constantly being refined and outputs from both methods are being compared to determine the most precise, accurate and energy efficient option.
To maximise the surveillance area, and reduce slow processing, storage space and power consumption of the device, a single compression microphone is being investigated over a stereo recording channel. Possibilities to ensure the devices can transfer data from remote field locations is also being researched.
Potential sources of some common false positives from the project area have been identified (e.g. Australian Golden Whistler, Swamp Harrier, New Holland Honey-eater, Yellow throated miner) the algorithm is being trained to avoid returning these species as false detections.
