Plains wanderers are small, rare birds that live in grasslands. Unlike most birds, female plains wanderers are larger and stronger than males. Females take the lead in protecting their nests and babies from animals like foxes, while males often sit on the eggs to keep them warm. These birds are hard to find because their feathers blend into the grass, making them look like part of the landscape. Sadly, their numbers have been dropping because people are taking over their grassland homes for farms and cities.
To save them, scientists are using AI. The key is the birds’ calls. Mother wanderers make soft sounds to talk to their chicks and warn about danger. These calls are quiet and easy to miss, but AI can hear them clearly. Scientists put microphones in the grasslands to record sounds all day and night. Then they put these recordings into a computer program. The AI learns to tell the wanderers’ calls apart from other noises, like the wind blowing or insects chirping. This helps scientists find where the mother birds are and how many chicks they have.
“AI helps us monitor these birds without bothering them,” says Dr. Lee, who leads the project. “We can find the most important areas for them and work to protect those places.” Once, the AI helped scientists find a hidden nest with three baby birds. Without AI, they might not have found it. Thanks to this technology, there is new hope for these rare birds, showing that AI can be a powerful tool in saving wildlife.