Smart tech aids bird conservation in Austria's national park

Huawei Austria, the University of Vienna, and the park launched a joint research initiative in 2021 to study biodiversity in the reed belt of Lake Neusiedl.

VIENNA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- At the end of a narrow bridge hidden among tall reeds, a secluded cabin sits on the water of the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park in Austria. From its windows, lucky visitors can catch sight of rare birds that live in the area.

The national park encompasses a range of landscape zones -- Alpine, Pannonian, Asian, Mediterranean, and Nordic -- and supports a diversity of habitats. Among the parks' avian residents are black-winged stilt and ferruginous duck, both considered rare species.

"It's a pretty untypical national park for Austria because it's flat lands, really lowlands with a lot of reeds. Reed is one of the most important habitats here," said Harald Grabenhofer, head of department for monitoring, research, and citizen science at the national park.

Lake Neusiedl, located in the park, is known for its biodiversity. However, climate change and declining water levels are threatening its delicate ecosystems. To address this, Huawei Austria, the University of Vienna, and the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park launched a joint research initiative in 2021 under Huawei's global TECH4ALL program. The project focuses on studying biodiversity in the lake's reed belt.

The program employs acoustic devices, smart technologies, and artificial intelligence to analyze how the condition of the reeds affects the birds living there.

"We use two audio devices for recording bird songs in the reed belt," said Grabenhofer. "The big advantage is they are out all year, and they can record 24/7 a day. So it's a lot of data that you gain, and this helped us understand the bird communities here in the reed."

Compared to traditional methods, the AI-powered acoustic analysis significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of bird species identification.

"Thanks to modern technology, we can collect far more data around the clock and in any weather -- times and conditions under which researchers would normally not be present in the reeds. We're also able to analyze large areas simultaneously," he said.

TECH4ALL, launched by Huawei in 2019, aims to use technology and partnerships to generate positive impacts in four key areas: environment, education, health, and development.

"We're very happy that Huawei could provide these devices for us, and we'll see what the future brings," Grabenhofer said. "Technology is always a welcome thing."