Facial Recognition Software Used to Monitor Rare Cape Barren Geese in South Australia
Key Highlights :
Facial recognition software developed to study the social behavior of individual Greylag Geese in Europe is now being used to monitor one of the rarest geese in the world, the Cape Barren Goose in South Australia. This technology was used to assess how each bird responds to images of themselves, other flock mates or partners, and could be used by other scientists or in citizen science apps around the world to monitor and record endangered wildlife or even to promote the welfare of animals in captivity.
Researchers from the University of Vienna and Flinders University have found that with 97% accuracy, each goose face can be correctly assigned within a photo library containing 6000 possible matches. The team placed life-sized photos in a grassy field to see how the geese reacted to each image and found that they approached the photo of their partner more quickly, gave friendly contact calls and fed for longer. When they saw a picture of themselves, the geese hissed and took longer to approach the food, if they fed at all.
This research gives insights into the birds' social structure and illustrates how the software to monitor individual faces or body patterns can be monitored using photographs collected in the field for animal numbers and movements in conservation efforts. The software could also be used to enhance animal welfare in captivity, as a photo might reduce the sense of isolation in a social species held in captivity, or serve as a 'soft introduction' before a new animal is introduced into an enclosure.
The findings of this research were published in the Journal of Ornithology and were authored by Professor Sonia Kleindorfer and Dr. Diane Colombelli-Négrel, who worked on the software with support from the University of Vienna, University of Veterinary Medicine in Austria and the Konrad Lorenz Research Centre for Behavior and Cognition. This research has the potential to revolutionize the way we monitor and protect endangered species and promote animal welfare in captivity.
