Continuous Real-Time Acoustic Monitoring of endangered bird species in Hawai‘i

Abstract

The decline of endemic bird species in Hawai‘i requires innovative conservation measures enabled by passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). This paper describes a novel real-time PAM system used in the Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) to reduce wildlife collisions and minimize disruptions to military operations while ensuring the protection of endangered bird species such as the Nēnē and ‘Akē‘akē. The system is based on the BirdNET algorithm and was evaluated with over 16,000 soundscape recordings from Hawai‘i. The results show that the model version HI V2.0, based on BirdNET and specifically adapted to Hawaiian bird species, showed the clearest separation between true and false positive detections (average precision 49% to 52%), although this difference was not statistically significant. However, accuracy varied considerably between species and locations, emphasizing the need to adapt the models to the specific conditions of use. A novel web application allows immediate visualization of the predicted bird species, facilitating the implementation of conservation measures. The three acoustic monitoring units installed at the PTA in January 2023 demonstrate the system’s potential for continuous monitoring and protection of Hawaiian endangered bird species.