Acoustic localisation of wildlife with low-cost equipment: lower sensitivity, but no loss of precision
Bethany R. Smith
A B M , Holly Root-Gutteridge C , Hannah Butkiewicz D , Angela Dassow E , Amy C. Fontaine F , Andrew Markham G , Jessica Owens H , Loretta Schindler I , Matthew Wijers J and Arik Kershenbaum K L
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Lane, Southwell, NG25 0QF, UK.
B The Mammal Society, Milton Abbas, Dorset, DT11 0BL, UK.
C School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Beevor Street, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK.
D College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 2100 Main Street, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA.
E Department of Biology, Carthage College, 2001 Alford Park Drive, Kenosha, WI 53140, USA.
F Independent Scholar, McKinleyville, CA, USA.
G Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, 15 Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QD, UK.
H Unleashed Training, LLC, Daytona Beach, FL, USA.
I Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná , Prague 128 44, Czech Republic.
J Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Abingdon Road, Oxford, OX13 5QL, UK.
K Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.
L Girton College, University of Cambridge, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0JG, UK.
M Corresponding author. Email: beth.smith@ntu.ac.uk
Wildlife Research 49(4) 372-381 https://doi.org/10.1071/WR21089
Submitted: 17 June 2021 Accepted: 19 October 2021 Published: 21 December 2021
Abstract
Context: Synchronised acoustic recorders can be used as a non-invasive tool to detect and localise sounds of interest, including vocal wildlife and anthropogenic sounds. Due to the high cost of commercial synchronised recorders, acoustic localisation has typically been restricted to small or well funded surveys. Recently, low-cost acoustic recorders have been developed, but until now their efficacy has not been compared with higher specification recorders.
Aims: The present study aimed to compare the efficacy of a newly developed low-cost recorder, the Conservation at Range through Audio Classification and Localisation (CARACAL), with an established, high-end recorder, the Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter (SM).
Methods: Four recorders of each type were deployed in a paired set-up across five nights in Wisconsin, USA. The recordings allowed for manual identification of domestic dog (Canis familiaris), grey wolf (Canis lupus), coyote (Canis latrans) and barred owl (Strix varia) calls, and then the ability of each recorder type to detect and localise the vocalising animals was compared.
Key results: The CARACALs were less sensitive, detecting only 47.5% of wolf, 55% of coyote, 65% of barred owl and 82.5% of dog vocalisations detected by the paired SMs. However, when the same vocalisations were detected on both recorders, localisation was comparable, with no significant difference in the precision or maximum detection ranges.
Conclusions: Low-cost recording equipment can be used effectively for acoustic localisation of both wild and domestic animals. However, the lower sensitivity of the CARACALs means that a denser network of these recorders would be needed to achieve the same efficacy as the SMs. Deploying a greater number of cheaper recorders increases the labour time in the field and the quantity of data to process and store. Thus, there is a trade-off between cost and time to be considered.
Implications: The ability to use low-cost recorders for acoustic localisation provides new avenues for tracking, managing and researching a wide range of wildlife species. Presently, CARACALs are more suited to monitoring species that have small home ranges and high amplitude vocalisations, and for when a large time investment for in situ equipment checks and data processing is feasible.
Keywords: acoustic localisation, animal movement, bioacoustics, Canis latrans, Canis lupus, multilateration, passive acoustic monitoring, precision, Strix varia, wildlife management.
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