Escucha Aves is a two-year science initiative in which communities and local organizations use AI-powered acoustic monitoring to identify bird species and generate evidence for improved management of new protected areas supported by the Conserva Aves initiative in the Tropical Andes, while also contributing to positive local livelihood outcomes.
Protected areas are central to conservation, but their real impact often goes unmeasured. Escucha Aves addresses this gap through a user-friendly digital platform, where community members upload recordings, detect bird species using AI, validate results, and track trends through intuitive dashboards and biodiversity indicators. Building on successful pilots in three Colombian reserves, the project expands to 15 sites across Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, creating a model for scaling across 70+ Conserva Aves sites.
Led by Audubon, in partnership with WildMon and Kitzes Lab at the University of Pittsburgh, Escucha Aves delivers an integrated monitoring system. WildMon develops a modular, open-source platform to analyze and visualize biodiversity data, designed to easily integrate new AI models as they emerge. Kitzes Lab transforms validated data into clear, actionable insights, generating tools to inform management decisions and unlock conservation finance.
Chorus is being developed to support conservation practitioners across Latin America to transform millions of ecoacoustic recordings into reliable biodiversity information.
With 193 recorders distributed across nine sites in Colombia, Escucha Aves launched the implementation of its AI-powered acoustic monitoring network led by local communities. Soon, it will take flight to Peru and Bolivia.
Three local partners of the Conserva Aves initiative in Colombia are implementing the training they received during the workshop on Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM). PAM is an effective tool for identifying the bird species that inhabit their territories, even the most elusive ones.
The award supports innovative use of artificial intelligence to help local communities protect biodiversity across the Americas.
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