Taking A.I. to the edge - investing in long-term automated starling acoustic surveillance

The European or common starling occur naturally in Europe and Asia but are one of the most invasive bird pests worldwide, and are a significant threat to Western Australia’s (WA) agricultural, social, biodiversity and cultural assets. They cause severe damage to high-value fruit crops, especially cherries and grapes, and consume high volumes of livestock feed.

To prevent the establishment of starlings in WA, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) conducts a strategic trapping program within high-risk areas for entry to WA.

Starlings are a C1 declared pest under the Biosecurity and agricultural Management Act (2007).

This Request seeks to establish a contract for the construction of portable edge-computing acoustic devices capable of automating the acoustic detection of starling birds from remote locations throughout WA’s south coast.