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AUTHORS: Julia Dale, Iowa State University; Matt Stephenson, Iowa State University; Lisa Schulte-Moore, Iowa State University; Robert Klaver, U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit
ABSTRACT: The last few years have seen increased interest in the use of Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs) to document the presence of avian species without the need for trained human observers. While research has found ARUs to be useful in detecting certain species under specific conditions, there has been little inquiry into how this newer method compares to more traditional avian survey methods in quality and efficiency. To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of Autonomous Recording Units and trained human observers at detecting avian species, we conducted five-minute point counts while simultaneously using an ARU to record bird song. We then visually analyzed the recordings using Raven Pro software and compared this data to that collected by a trained field observer. In addition, we compared final species counts obtained via both methods for each site. A cost comparison of the two methods was conducted using micro-costing techniques in which individual costs related to each survey method were estimated and compared.
