Know who’s who?
Researchers are looking for volunteers to help map five native Australian owl species, by listening to short recordings made in the bush.
The results will provide important information about the range and numbers of these beloved birds of prey. They will also help researchers develop artificial intelligence systems to use in a new field of science, known as “ecoacoustics”.
The project is called Hoot Detective, and is produced by ABC Science in collaboration with the Australian Acoustic Observatory.
The idea is to identify powerful, barking, boobook, barn, and masked owls from hours of recordings that have been divided into 10-second sections.
“It’s a fascinating exercise,” ABC’s Dr Ann Jones said.
“Simply sit at your computer, call up a recording, and listen out for the owls. You hear wild Australia at night — and sometimes it’s surprisingly tricky to distinguish, say, a barn owl among noisy insects, chorusing frogs or even wind or cars.”
The Hoot Detective team hopes that when all the results are collated, they will find insights into owl populations that go beyond simply range and density. They want to discover, for instance, whether owl calls change, or whether small owls go quiet when big owls come to visit.
The project started on August 9 as part of National Science Week and will run until the end of the month.
■ Find out more at: www.hootdetective.net.au