Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - eBIRDS (NOVEL SYSTEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING BASED ON THE AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF BIRDS)

Teaser

e-BIRDS proposes a new way to identify individual birds, and it conveys the widely known advantages associated to birds ringing in ornithological research but also substantial benefits in relation to animal’s welfare. e-BIRDS increases the visibility of the work of fauna...

Summary

e-BIRDS proposes a new way to identify individual birds, and it conveys the widely known advantages associated to birds ringing in ornithological research but also substantial benefits in relation to animal’s welfare. e-BIRDS increases the visibility of the work of fauna conservationists and scientists and considerably improves the success of the ringing campaigns with reduced labour force. Furthermore, e-BIRDS stablishes the pathway for citizen based science, so that non-professional ornithologists can contribute to monitoring and protecting natural ecosystems.
The objective of the present action has consisted on the feasibility assessment for the market penetration of e-BIRDS solution.

Work performed

Market analysis has revealed that though not identical, several competing products exist. In fact, companies selling similar products are actually positioned in the market as providers of animals’ tracking and/or identifying solutions (on the basis of the RFID technology or not).
The value proposition is based on the existing need to have robust identification system in ornithological research. The promotion of citizen based science is also needed; data to elucidate bird index indicators is mainly carried out by volunteers.
Considering the results obtained in the feasibility analysis, INKOA has decided to pursue the project’s idea and to apply for public funds under the SME Instrument Phase 2.

Final results

Progress beyond the state of the art is attributed to the fact that no similar product is currently available in the market.
The impacts of the action are the following:
- Improvement of the estimation of the survival rate as it is one of the key parameters to assess the conservation status of bird species, being extremely useful for evaluating the effectiveness of the species reintroduction programs or conservation projects, or even for evaluating the impact of environmental incidents or long term environmental changes.
- In general, sites that are significant for long-term viability of naturally occurring bird populations are managed by professional ornithologists (so called Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas). e-BIRDS extends such areas to the urban landscapes, therefore supporting biodiversity conservation in a different environment.
- Considering that industrialization, urbanization, and modern lifestyles have nowadays greatly reduced our direct interactions with nature, e-BIRDS proposes new way to approach nature and, particularly, to the provision of ecosystem services.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.inkoa.com.