Long-term automatic video recording as a tool for analysing the time patterns of utilisation of predefined locations by wild animals

Abstract

The design and application of automatic video recording systems for wild animals are described. Such systems enable continuous, long-time and repercussion-free surveillance of selected areas in the field. The performance characteristics of a conventional VHS video-tape system are compared to a digital video recording system. The recordings were used to develop daily and annual plots of occurrence for the different species and to display the preferences for darkness, twilight and light phase by the different species over the year. Absolute utilisation frequency as well as relative species composition can be obtained and compared between seasons or different places. The videos also were analysed for time budgets of basic behaviour patterns like feeding, walking, observing, social interaction, flight and comfort behaviour. Automatic video technique is a highly convenient tool for systematic long-term field research on occurrence of wild animal species, daily and annual activity rhythms, behaviour and area utilisation. Such systems can be applied especially to record animals at clearings, feeding or bait places, water sources, salt licks or traps.

Development of a digital infrared video camera system for recording and remote capturing

“…Although digital video and photo techniques are becoming more common in the recent years, still no special guide to this kind of equipment and methods is available, and many small but very important technical details are often skipped in research papers (Reif and Tornberg 2006). Most of the wildlife ecologists dealing with self-triggered video cameras worked with conventional analogue systems or at least analogue components: Scheibe et al (2007) used a video camera system for continuous surveillance of selected areas or spots in the field as a time-saving, reliable and durable tool for monitoring large wild animals. The scraping behaviors of a wild population of white-tailed deer were monitored by Alexy et al (2001) and forest carnivores and fishers were detected by Aubry et al (1997).…”

An automated barcode tracking system for behavioural studies in birds

“…Although direct observation is still an important method for gathering data, a variety of automated methods are now frequently used to accelerate data collection and reduce the effects of human intervention. Video recording has become common practice for studying both captive (Ihle, Kempenaers, & Forstmeier, 2015;Nagy et al, 2013;Perez-Escudero, Vicente-Page, Hinz, Arganda, & de Polavieja, 2014;Rojas Mora, Forstmeier, & Fusani, 2014;Togasaki et al, 2005) and wild organisms (Scheibe, Eichhorn, Wiesmayr, Schonert, & Krone, 2008;Togasaki et al, 2005). However, manually measuring behaviour from photos or videos is extremely time consuming and may still have the same limitations as direct observations, such as cognitive bias and fatigue.…”

An audio/video surveillance system for wildlife

“…Camera systems featuring motion sensors, time lapse and continuous recording have been widely used to document the presence and behaviour of animals at nests, trap sites and wildlife passages (Reif and Tornberg 2006;Kleist et al 2007;Huckschlag 2008;Scheibe et al 2008). Several systems have been developed and tested for continuous monitoring of bird nests (Currie et al 1996;Dearborn 1996;Delaney and Grubb 1998;Margalida et al 2006;Lin et al 2007;Pierce and Pobprasert 2007;Colombelli-Négrel et al 2009).…”