AI model trained to distinguish between individual birds

Distinguishing between individual animals is important for long-term monitoring of populations and protecting species from pressures such as climate change. However, it is also one of the most expensive, troublesome, and time-consuming aspects of animal behaviour research. While some creatures such as leopards have unique markings which allow humans to recognise individuals by eye, most species require additional visual identifiers such as coloured bands to be distinguished. Attaching bands to birds' legs can be stressful and disruptive to the animals, limiting the scope of research. Seeking an alternative method for distinguishing between individual birds, researchers from institutes in France, Germany, Portugal, and South Africa developed the first AI bird identification tool of its kind.