Autonomous sound recording outperforms human observation for sampling birds: a systematic map and user guide

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Bioacoustics
• Ornithology

Background:

• Autonomous sound recording is increasingly used for wildlife monitoring.
• The efficacy of sound recording versus human observation for bird surveys requires thorough evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically compare autonomous sound recording with human observation (point counts) for bird surveys.
• To assess sampling effectiveness, data output, and practicality of both methods.

Main Methods:

• Systematic map review of current evidence on autonomous sound recording and point counts for bird surveys.
• Comparative analysis of species sampling, data types generated, and cost-effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Autonomous sound recording samples at least as many bird species as point counts.
• Sound recorders provide exhaustive, standardized, and verifiable monitoring, yielding comparable datasets.
• This technology enables high temporal/spatial resolution and is more cost-effective for large-scale studies.

Conclusions:

• Autonomous sound recording is a powerful, scalable, and reliable tool for bird surveys.
• It offers advantages in data richness and cost-effectiveness, especially for extensive, data-driven research.
• Sound recorders are recommended for future bird survey designs.