Can you hear me now? Using remote technology to record birds and other wildlife

Camera traps and autonomous recording units deliver unexpected results

To capture the sights and sounds of wildlife on NCC’s properties in Alberta, Craig Harding, NCC’s manager of conservation science and planning, and his team have been setting up camera traps and autonomous recording units (ARUs).

An ARU mounted on tree. (Photo by NCC)

Harding and his team aren’t working alone, however. The Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) and the University of Alberta’s Bioacoustic Unit are the driving organization behind a project to capture data from across Alberta, using a standardized approach to biodiversity monitoring. They are achieving this by using new technology and partnering with organizations like NCC to collect the data.

While camera traps are remotely activated cameras typically triggered by a motion sensor or an infrared sensor, an ARU, like the Wildlife Acoustics-brand SM4, SM3 and SM2 units used by ABMI, are sophisticated audio recording devices. “We set them up in a box and program them to come on however many times we want, for as long as we want,” says Monica Kohler, regulatory efficiencies unit manager for ABMI. “For example, during the breeding bird season, we can set them to come on in the morning when most birds are singing. Most frogs call in the evening, so we can set the units to start recording at dusk.”

Kohler explains that ARUs and camera traps have changed the way conservation scientists monitor wildlife habitats. “We collect data from a network of different organizations using ARUs for their own purposes. That’s where NCC fits in — it contributes data so we can understand on a province-wide scale how species are changing over time.” Typically, ARU data is used for bird and frog observations, while camera traps are used to track mammals. 

Camera traps being set up. (Photo by NCC)

ARUs capture valuable bird data

Harding says ARUs deployed by NCC during 2016 provided an incredible, audible view of bird life. “Some birds will fall silent when anyone is there, so using technologies that allow you to listen to the sounds of nature without physically being there provides you with information you can’t get any other way.”

The information gained from ARU recordings also offers a good baseline assessment, according to Harding. “We get a huge collection of birdsong and some frog identification from the data. While we aren’t trying to target specific species, the analysis of the data by ABMI provides us with a baseline inventory of breeding birds. This information can help to guide our management of the property, and to monitor the health of the habitat.

Recording natural animal behaviour with camera traps

According to Harding, camera traps are used to observe animals in the wild without interference. “This method of gathering data allows animals to be animals. If people are there, they will affect the behaviour of the wildlife. With a camera trap in a strategic location, we can observe animals in their natural habitat. Typically, we capture medium to large mammals in photographs; small animals can be too small to be recorded unless they are close to the camera traps.”

For its part, ABMI uses high-end Reconyx PC900 Professional Covert Cameras for optimal image capture. Since these cameras also work at night, nocturnal wildlife, not often seen during the daytime, can often be observed. “We’ve seen lynx, cougar, fishers, badgers. In the past, we may have seen scat or scratch marks from these animals, but that was all. With camera traps we can better assess the health of the animal and count the number of individuals,” says Harding.

Acoustic data gathered by NCC and ABMI using ARUs is analyzed by the Bioacoustic Unit at the University of Alberta, by a team led by Erin Bayne. It is then returned to ABMI for use in modelling. NCC also receives an annual report of all species identified using these methods. Harding says, “Our role is data collection. ABMI’s is mostly data analysis and mapping.” For NCC staff, part of the reward and excitement is found when unexpected or seldom-seen species are observed.

Camera trap image of an elk (Photo by NCC)

First time observations – badgers in Collins and elk further east

About a decade ago, the NCC team found evidence of what was suspected to be American badgers on the Collins property. Recently, a camera trap confirmed the badgers’ continuing presence. It was an exciting observation. “We now have photographic confirmation that badgers are present on that property,” says Harding. The 2016 data also showed elk much further east on the Collins property; a new observation for NCC at that location.

When camera traps and ARUs capture imagery or sounds of at risk-species on any NCC property, NCC staff are able to adjust their conservation activities to provide appropriate protection. For example, grazing programs can be implemented to help support some species. Or, on properties where hay is cut and baled, NCC could recommend delaying hay collection during the breeding season of the identified species. 

Data analysis: the biggest hurdle with camera traps and ARUs