Escucha Aves: AI for Conservation and Communities

Birds in Colombia are making themselves heard everywhere: during the recent Global Big Day (GBD), which reaffirmed our status as the country of birds; on Anderson Cooper’s 60 Minutes segment, which circulated around the world and boosted national pride; in the official data of the 1,981 species recorded in our territory; in press releases, digital media, conservation forums; at prime birdwatching destinations; and, early in the morning or at the end of the day, thanks to the guacharacas -or chachalacas, as they are known in English- and their commotion, blackbirds and Rufous-collared sparrow, the Great Kiskadee, the Tropical Kingbird, and the nightjars, to name just a few.

But while thousands of people were devoted to observing them during the GBD, another group of enthusiasts were making sure that their songs were properly recorded. During the first weekend of May, 193 acoustic monitoring recorders belonging to the Escucha Aves project were deployed across nine locations in Colombia: Puerres and Ricaurte (Nariño), San Carlos (Antioquia), Tauramena (Casanare), Charalá (Santander), San Juan Nepomuceno (Bolívar), and Calima and Dagua (Valle del Cauca).

This marked the beginning of a two-year effort spanning 17 projects that aims to capture, using 600 recorders, more than 1.3 million minutes of bird songs and sounds across Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, combining artificial intelligence with community knowledge and leadership.

On May 1 and 2, we accompanied Audubon's deployment team to the Zonquer páramo, a high-mountain ecosystem located in the sacred territory of Atuczara, or "where the heart of water lies." High above Puerres, Nariño, the team braved relentless rain and powerful winds to install and georeference 19 autonomous recording units across a landscape of frailejones (Espeletia pycnophylla) and High Andean Forest. The work was made possible through the leadership and support of the Gran Tescual Indigenous Reserve, Escucha Aves' local partner.

Despite its ecological importance within the Nudo de los Pastos, where the Pacific and Amazon regions meet, this landscape has been little studied. That makes the Escucha Aves project especially significant, as it is helping document the sounds of birds in one of Colombia's least monitored regions. For biologists, this territory—crossed by "flying rivers"—may even harbor species still unknown to science.

Jorge Velásquez, Audubon’s Director of Science for Latin America and the Caribbean and leader of the project, does not rule out future discoveries. In addition to the National Audubon Society, project partners include the University of Pittsburgh, through the Kitzes Lab, a leader in acoustic research; and WildMon, a company with extensive experience developing technological solutions for monitoring and conservation.

Velásquez explains that “the Escucha Aves project consists of training communities and local organizations in the use of acoustic monitoring to identify the species present in their territories and measure changes over time. For this research, we use small recorders programmed to capture sounds at regular intervals throughout the 24-hour cycle, and later we use AI tools to identify the songs found in the recordings.”

According to Velásquez, Escucha Aves “arose from the need to understand exactly what we are conserving within the Conserva Aves initiative*, because although baseline inventories already existed and allowed several projects in the country to move forward with the designation of protected areas and other conservation measures, there is still no complete inventory or monitoring strategy that can be repeated over time. Through acoustic monitoring we seek to fill that gap.”

This work is made possible thanks to funding from the Bezos Earth Fund (BEF), following the project’s selection as one of the global winners of the AI Grand Challenge for Climate and Nature Fund.

AI for conservation

Natalia Chamorro, an agroforestry engineer, member of the Indigenous reserve, and Escucha Aves project coordinator for Gran Tescual, explains that the community’s engagement with this partnership between AI, traditional knowledge, and territorial understanding represents a major opportunity to strengthen conservation and the legal framework.

“From the reserve perspective,” says Chamorro, “following the Escuela Viva process and the training sessions, we are not closed off to technology. On the contrary, we are ready to collaborate, to share what we have, and to learn how to take advantage of these technological tools. If we close ourselves off, we cannot grow; however, if we can bring together this ancestral, experiential knowledge—which connects us to the spiritual world—with new technologies like artificial intelligence, that knowledge will become even stronger.”

And by stronger, she refers to the reserve’s intention to designate additional conservation areas: “We already have an ICCA (Indigenous Peoples' and Community Conserved Areas and Territories), and these devices help us greatly in recognizing species within the territory. We are looking for a key indicator species in the area that can help define boundaries and strengthen protection measures. "Unfortunately, there are many applications for mining projects and, although we've made progress through precautionary measures, these areas still need national-level protection. Support from the Bezos Earth Fund allows us to use passive acoustic monitoring to identify key species, generating the evidence needed to strengthen their protection and help keep outsiders from coming into our territory to exploit its natural resources," says Natalia Chamorro.

Listening to learn from the territory

Giovanni Cárdenas, a biologist with Asociación Calidris, a national organization partnering in the Escucha Aves project, explains that through his role within the Conserva Aves initiative — where he helps strengthen local capacities for bird monitoring — he now supports the projects involved in passive acoustic monitoring.

“The participation of the Gran Tescual reserve,” says Cárdenas, “came through a synergy that was already emerging between that initiative and Escucha Aves. We understand the importance of this territory and recognize the information gaps that exist regarding biodiversity, particularly avifauna.”

According to Cárdenas, these advanced technological tools — the autonomous devices — will ensure that “this knowledge remains within the territory under the stewardship of the Indigenous reserve. The primary files and results, together with feedback on the goals achieved, will strengthen knowledge of the territory and foster ownership of this specific technology.”

Gran Tescual Indigenous Governor Vicente Obando, who participated in the installation process, explains it clearly: "As a community, we recognize the importance of ecological restoration because, in our life plan, restoring the land begins with restoring our way of thinking—a legacy passed down by our elders. Within that vision, we understand the importance of conserving birds. They are guardians of seeds and biodiversity, messengers of the spirits, and a bridge between the spirituality of the cosmos and the sacred places within our environmental reserves."

Both forms of knowledge complement one another, uniting efforts in support of conservation and local sustainability. That is the most important goal, which Jorge Velásquez summarizes this way:  “What excites me most is seeing these different communities and organizations that are part of Conserva Aves empowered through monitoring, and seeing this research contribute to better territory management, while also allowing them to benefit economically and sustainably from the biodiversity found within their territories.”