It's not always easy to find or even recognize some rare birds, but science seem to find a new way to do it way easier.
Using AI, scientists now can recognize and also monitor various rare bird species, so it can be way easier for ornithologists to do their job.
Here's how it works.
Researchers at the University of Moncton in Canada have created a special computer program called ECOGEN to help identify and monitor rare bird species.
Normally, scientists use technology to recognize common bird songs, but when it comes to rare birds, there aren't enough recordings to teach the computer.
ECOGEN solves this problem by creating artificial bird songs that sound just like the real ones.
The researchers found that using ECOGEN to add these artificial songs to their identification tool made it 12% more accurate.
Dr. Nicolas Lecomte, one of the lead researchers, says that this tool is not only helpful for birds but could also be used for other animals like mammals, fish, insects, and amphibians.
The best part is that ECOGEN is open source and can be used on regular computers, making it accessible to more people.
This tool is essential for studying and protecting rare and endangered species.