Dr Dominika Winiarska from the Department of Zoology and Genetics at the Faculty of Biology, University of Białystok, has been awarded the Wildlife Acoustics Scientific Product Grant.
Her project, titled “Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring to Improve Monitoring of Wader Populations,” received equipment support in the form of 10 Song Meter Micro 2 recorders and licenses for Kaleidoscope Pro bioacoustics software, enabling advanced bioacoustic analyses. The research will begin this spring in the Narew and Supraśl river valleys.
Wildlife Acoustics is a leading manufacturer of technologies used in passive acoustic monitoring, providing specialized recording devices and software that support scientists, researchers, and institutions in documenting and analyzing the sounds of wildlife.
Dr Winiarska’s project will evaluate whether passive acoustic monitoring can serve as a reliable alternative to field observations in breeding habitats of waders. This technique has proven highly effective, for example, in noisy seabird or penguin colonies. The goal is to assess whether it can be used just as effectively in areas where bird sound activity is lower.
The sound recorders will be placed along predator-exclusion fences surrounding key breeding areas established by the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (PTOP) in the Narew and Supraśl valleys.
“The recorders will capture the vocalizations of species such as the Northern Lapwing, Common Snipe, Common Redshank, and Black-tailed Godwit throughout the entire breeding season, according to a set schedule, allowing us to document daily and seasonal patterns of vocal activity. The analyses will include soundscape characterization using acoustic indices and comparisons of wader vocal activity with results from traditional nest surveys and counts of adult birds,” explains Dr Dominika Winiarska.
She adds that the project may significantly contribute to the development of modern, non-invasive methods for monitoring waders and other threatened bird species.
“Protecting waders in Europe is becoming increasingly challenging due to agricultural intensification and the limitations of traditional monitoring methods. In areas such as PTOP reserves, monitoring population size and breeding success relies on manually locating nests. This method allows precise detection of breeding attempts but requires multiple visits during the season and carries the risk of disturbing birds or accidentally damaging nests hidden in dense vegetation,” adds Dr Winiarska.
More information about the project is available on the Wildlife Acoustics website:
wildlifeacoustics.com/grant-program/past-recipients
