Blending tradition with innovation: how acoustic sensors are revolutionizing rock ptarmigan monitoring

Abstract

As part of the annual survey of the presence of the alpine ptarmigan in the Granatspitz group in the Hohe Tauern National Park, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences supported the data collection for the first time using acoustic sensors in the spring of 2023. To obtain an initial comparison with the classic point-counting method, acoustic loggers were placed at previously established permanent survey points. Furthermore, the devices were installed at the boundaries of the reference area and beyond to determine how extensively the area is used by rock ptarmigan. The results demonstrated that, despite challenging weather conditions, the required data could be successfully collected using the two tested sensor types.