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Use of listening apps
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Anne Hughes
Jul 17, 2023, 3:13:58 PM7/17/23
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An interesting article published in the UK by the British Trust for Ornithology,
'BTO article -
Being able to recognise birds without seeing them and locate some of our most elusive species is made possible by learning the songs and calls of various bird species. However, if you are new to birdwatching, or have little experience with a wide range of species, this can be a daunting prospect. A growing number of smartphone apps, such as Merlin Bird ID, Warblr, and BirdNET, offer a useful companion when learning bird songs and calls. These remarkable apps use your phone to listen to the soundscape and attempt to identify the birds present. Although excellent for learning there are some issues to be aware of when undertaking bird monitoring and recording. The first is that the suggestions these apps make are not always completely accurate, and each suggested species should be verified by either seeing the birds in real life or, at the least, comparing the song or call to other recordings (Xeno-canto has a huge searchable database of bird calls and sounds you can use to compare your recordings too). If you see the bird as well as hear it this is more likely to stick in long-term memory.
Secondly, you should always confirm whether a species is likely to be present in the region at that time of year and in that sort of habitat before relying on any unexpected suggestions. Examples of suggestions that these apps have got wrong include a Blackbird that was suggested as a Golden Oriole, and a calling Chaffinch that was suggested as Redstart.
So although these apps are great for learning because they are not 100% reliable, you should never add species to a BirdTrack list purely on the basis of an app identification; only species that you have confirmed by other means (e.g. seeing the bird) should be added to a BirdTrack list. After all, a complete list is a list of what you identified.
End BTO article
Makes one think !!!
Anne H.
'BTO article -
Being able to recognise birds without seeing them and locate some of our most elusive species is made possible by learning the songs and calls of various bird species. However, if you are new to birdwatching, or have little experience with a wide range of species, this can be a daunting prospect. A growing number of smartphone apps, such as Merlin Bird ID, Warblr, and BirdNET, offer a useful companion when learning bird songs and calls. These remarkable apps use your phone to listen to the soundscape and attempt to identify the birds present. Although excellent for learning there are some issues to be aware of when undertaking bird monitoring and recording. The first is that the suggestions these apps make are not always completely accurate, and each suggested species should be verified by either seeing the birds in real life or, at the least, comparing the song or call to other recordings (Xeno-canto has a huge searchable database of bird calls and sounds you can use to compare your recordings too). If you see the bird as well as hear it this is more likely to stick in long-term memory.
Secondly, you should always confirm whether a species is likely to be present in the region at that time of year and in that sort of habitat before relying on any unexpected suggestions. Examples of suggestions that these apps have got wrong include a Blackbird that was suggested as a Golden Oriole, and a calling Chaffinch that was suggested as Redstart.
So although these apps are great for learning because they are not 100% reliable, you should never add species to a BirdTrack list purely on the basis of an app identification; only species that you have confirmed by other means (e.g. seeing the bird) should be added to a BirdTrack list. After all, a complete list is a list of what you identified.
End BTO article
Makes one think !!!
Anne H.
Brad James
Jul 18, 2023, 7:35:51 AM7/18/23
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This is a great reminder Anne as not long ago the Merlin app told me I had an Eastern Phoebe in Bowring park yet once I located the bird making the call it was in fact a Starling. Visual identification is key.
ILJones
Jul 18, 2023, 10:31:51 AM7/18/23
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Thanks for posting Anne
In my experience... useful, as they can pick out things I might not have noticed... but not to be relied on as a sole bit of evidence (everything needs to be checked with separate confirmatory evidence). As with a lot of other things, I think this AI is not a replacement for qualified people.
I do hope atlassing projects are not using these apps as a sole source for their 'data' - if so, 'garbage in > garbage out'
ilj
In my experience... useful, as they can pick out things I might not have noticed... but not to be relied on as a sole bit of evidence (everything needs to be checked with separate confirmatory evidence). As with a lot of other things, I think this AI is not a replacement for qualified people.
I do hope atlassing projects are not using these apps as a sole source for their 'data' - if so, 'garbage in > garbage out'
ilj
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