How to deploy and service acoustic recorders so that the recordings can be used on biomon.app and compared across locations and years.
Two approaches
| Approach | How it works | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Stationary recorders | A recorder stays at a location for weeks or months and records on a schedule | Birds, amphibians, nocturnal species, phenology, seasonal and daily activity. Used by the Roztochya Nature Reserve and other institutions |
| Common bird monitoring (FZS protocol) | A surveyor records 5 minutes at each of 5 points of a transect, twice a season | Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring (PECBMS), comparable annual data for FZS partner parks |
The approaches do not exclude each other. The FZS survey gives standardised data for the European scheme, while stationary recorders answer a wider range of questions.
Minimum standard (any approach)
- Record the coordinates, location ID, and the date and time of installation and removal, as for camera traps (see the camera-trap minimum standard).
- Before going to the field, synchronise the recorder's time and location with the manufacturer's app.
- Register the location in SMART (Field sensors → Sound recording device).
- Record the recording schedule and recorder settings. Do not change them without noting it.
- Hand over all sound and text files from the recorder, without selection or renaming.
Warning: changing the schedule or settings in the middle of a season makes the data series non-comparable. Fewer recording hours systematically "shrink" the singing season and can create a false trend.
Placement
While recording, keep away from streams (about 20 m), tree trunks (3 to 4 m), roads and highways. Constant noise shortens the distance at which birds can be heard.
Equipment
Main recorders: Song Meter Micro 2 (Wildlife Acoustics), as well as Song Meter Mini and AudioMoth.