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2021 Recipients

Monitoring and Mitigation of Collision Risk for Chiroptera at Wind Farms to Improve Wildlife Protection in Vietnam


2021, 4th Quarter

Dr. Ha Nguyen

Dr. Ha Nguyen at Vietnam National University, Hanoi will use Song Meter Mini Bat Ultrasonic Recorders, an Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro, and Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software to monitor collision risks for bats at wind farms in Vietnam.

Wetland Sounds: Temporal and Spatial Variation of the Amphibian Soundscape of ñeembucú, Paraguay


2021, 4th Quarter

Inés Zárate Betzel

Inés Zárate Betzel at the Fundación de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales will use Song Meter Mini Acoustic Recorders and Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software to research amphibian soundscape in Paraguay.

The Wild Soundscape of Penang Hill Biosphere- towards a Malaysian Sound Library for Biodiversity Conservation


2021, 4th Quarter

Mei Yi Lee

At the School of Biological Sciences in Malaysia, Mei Yi Lee will use Song Meter Mini Recorders, a Song Meter Mini Bat Recorder, and Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software to study the biodiversity of the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve

In Search of the Elusive and Critically Endangered White-winged Flufftail


2021, 3rd Quarter

Dr. Kyle Lloyd


Dr. Kyle J. Lloyd and fellow researchers at BirdLife South Africa will use Song Meter Mini Acoustic Recorders to gather data on the elusive White-winged Flufftail and its native wetland habitat, ultimately developing guidelines for wetland conservation.

Investigating Computational Methodologies to Improve Detection Rates in Acoustic Monitoring of the cryptic Western Ground Parrot


2021, 3rd Quarter

Benjamin Barrett

At the University of Western Australia, Benjamin Barrett and the Ecosystem Restoration & Intervention Ecology (ERIE) Research Group will use Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software to monitor and protect the critically endangered Western Ground Parrot.

'Where Have All the Birds Gone?' a multi-species approach to confirm distribution of threatened Mauritian birds


2021, 3rd Quarter

Dr. Vikash Tatayah


As Conservation Director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Dr. Vikash Tatayah will use Kaleidoscope Pro Analysis Software to study the Bambou Mountains’ native bird population, which includes several rare species that were reintroduced after vanishing from the region.

Species Diversity and Foraging Activity of Insectivorous Bats at Organic and Conventional Agricultural Areas in Belize


2021, 2nd Quarter

Dr. Bruce Miller and T.R.E.E.S.

Conventional agriculture is the leading cause of habitat and biodiversity loss in the world. In the Neotropics of Belize, slash-and-burn and subsistence farming are some of the main factors causing habitat degradation and loss. Dr. Bruce Miller and the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (T.R.E.E.S.) will use Song Meter Mini Bats to study how species diversity, relative abundance, and the foraging activity of bats are affected by different agricultural land management practices in Belize.

Illuminating the Nocturnal Bird Migration on Islands: Assessing the Relationship Between Soundscape Indices and Migration Diversity and Intensity


2021, 2nd Quarter

Cristian Peréz Granados

While the study of bird migration has increased exponentially, current knowledge about nocturnal bird migration is limited. Cristian Pérez Granados and the Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef at the University of Alicante in Spain will use Song Meter Minis to monitor nocturnal bird migration. This project will assess whether soundscape indices (as a proxy of bird diversity), estimated from nocturnal sound recordings, are related to migrating bird diversity. In addition, the project will study the hourly and seasonal patterns of nocturnal bird migration in three Mediterranean islands to help propose effective conservation measures.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Hear Them: The Bookend Trust’s Pilot Project for Acoustic Monitoring of Tasmanian Bats And Bitterns


2021, 2nd Quarter

Dr. Clare Hawkins and Dr. Jim Lovell

Fewer than 15% of Tasmania's threatened species, and a much lower proportion of its other species, are monitored to assess whether conservation efforts are adequate and effective. Yet, for many, known and potential threats are increasing and changing across this Australian island state. A pilot project led by Dr. Clare Hawkins and Bookend Trust Fund (Pennicott Foundation) will use Song Meter Mini Bats as a trial for monitoring bats and bitterns. Ultimately, this project hopes to establish long-term acoustic monitoring across Tasmania, improving conservation effectiveness and public engagement in conservation efforts.

Influence Of Anthropogenic Impacts on The Distribution and Occupancy of Owls in Southern Yungas of Argentina


2021, 2nd Quarter

Maila Scheffer

Owls in the Southern Yungas depend on tree hollows for nesting. Owl populations have been affected by forest logging, which has continued to escalate over the years. Maila Scheffer and the Foundation for the Conservation and Study of Biodiversity (CEBio) will use Kaleidoscope Pro to study the impact of human activity on the distribution, ecology, and habitat requirements of owl species. This effort will help identify priority areas for conservation and determine long-term conservation strategies for owl species in the Southern Yungas of Argentina.

Survey of Urban Frog Populations


2021, 2nd Quarter

Mike Dawson


Crowdsourced citizen scientist data is showing a noticeable decrease in non-arboreal frogs in the St. Louis urban and suburban areas. Mike Dawson and the Saint Louis Zoo plan to use Kaleidoscope Pro to study urban frog populations in hopes of increasing the urban amphibian diversity in St. Louis by reestablishing viable and sustainable breeding populations of Spring Peepers, Western Chorus Frogs, and Cricket Frogs in the watersheds located within the Interstate 270 beltway.

Mapping Acoustic Communication Networks in Changing Soundscapes


2021, 1st Quarter

Faiza Hafeez

We know that anthropogenic sounds can impact an individual bird’s calling behaviour. However, it is less clear whether human noises disrupt important social communications such as alarm calls, and how that impact might be felt. With an innovative triangulation approach, Faiza Hafeez from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will use Song Meter SM4TS recorders to map alarm calls as they propagate through colonies of individually-identifiable red-winged blackbirds. Demonstrating this method can accurately map a species’ communication network will be the first stage to more fully understanding the impacts of noise pollution on wildlife.

Detecting and monitoring threatened birds in eastern Amazonia


2021, 1st Quarter

Pablo Cerqueira

High rates of deforestation in Brazil’s Eastern Amazonia region has left rare and threatened birds living in just a few remnants of primary forest. Identifying which forest fragments are most important for conservation action is no easy task. Indeed, one species, the Belem Curassow, is so secretive it was thought to be extinct until 2013. Pablo Vieira Cerqueira from the Universidade Federal do Pará will use Song Meter SM4 recorders coupled with the clustering feature in Kaleidoscope Pro to find and monitor 15 bird species, including the Belem Curassow and the critically endangered Black-winged Trumpeter. The project will also create a record of the soundscapes of these threatened habitats and will use sound recordings in its outreach work.

Using African Wild Dog Vocalisations to Determine Pack Cohesion


2021, 1st Quarter

Pia Riddell

African Wild Dogs are highly endangered. Approaches to their conservation include translocation and forming artificial packs, requiring periods in captivity. Appeasement pheromones are a potential way to reduce stress and aggression in captive dogs. Pia Riddell from James Cook University will use Kaleidoscope Pro’s clustering feature to compare vocalisations in packs with and without exposure to the pheromones. She hopes ultimately to determine whether vocalisations can be used as an indicator of the social cohesion of an African Wild Dog pack.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Faunatech acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.