An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery
Computer-automated image analysis techniques can save time and resources for detecting and counting birds in aerial imagery. Sophisticated object-based image analysis (OBIA) software is now widely available and has proven effective for various challenging detection tasks, but there is a need to deve...
Published in: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
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2018
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:ea924fb6d7314bbcbccc5a6e4e60add5 2023-05-15T15:02:16+02:00 An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery Dominique Chabot Christopher Dillon Charles M. Francis 2018-06-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01205-130115 https://doaj.org/article/ea924fb6d7314bbcbccc5a6e4e60add5 EN eng Resilience Alliance http://www.ace-eco.org/vol13/iss1/art15/ https://doaj.org/toc/1712-6568 1712-6568 doi:10.5751/ACE-01205-130115 https://doaj.org/article/ea924fb6d7314bbcbccc5a6e4e60add5 Avian Conservation and Ecology, Vol 13, Iss 1, p 15 (2018) abundance estimation aerial surveys automation census techniques data analysis image processing population monitoring remote sensing Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01205-130115 2022-12-31T11:17:44Z Computer-automated image analysis techniques can save time and resources for detecting and counting birds in aerial imagery. Sophisticated object-based image analysis (OBIA) software is now widely available and has proven effective for various challenging detection tasks, but there is a need to develop accessible and readily adaptable procedures that can be implemented in an operational context. We developed a systematic, repeatable approach using commercial off-the-shelf OBIA software, and tested its effectiveness and efficiency to detect and count Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) in large numbers of images of breeding colonies across the Canadian Arctic that present a variety of landscapes, numerous confounding features, and varying illumination conditions and exposure levels. Coarse-scale review of analysis results was necessary to remove conspicuous clusters of commission errors, thus rendering the technique semiautomated. It was effective for imagery with spatial resolutions of 4-5 cm, producing overall accurate estimates of goose numbers compared to manual counts (R2 = 0.998, regression coefficient = 0.974) in 41 test images drawn from several breeding colonies. The total automated count (19,920) across all test images exceeded the manual count (19,836) by just 0.4%. We estimate the typical time required to review images for errors to be only 5-10% of that required to count birds manually. This could reduce the person-time required to analyze aerial photos of the major Arctic colonies of Snow Geese from several months to several days. Our approach could be adapted to many other bird detection tasks in aerial imagery by anyone possessing at least basic skills in image analysis and geographic information systems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Avian Conservation and Ecology 13 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
abundance estimation aerial surveys automation census techniques data analysis image processing population monitoring remote sensing Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989 |
spellingShingle |
abundance estimation aerial surveys automation census techniques data analysis image processing population monitoring remote sensing Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989 Dominique Chabot Christopher Dillon Charles M. Francis An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
topic_facet |
abundance estimation aerial surveys automation census techniques data analysis image processing population monitoring remote sensing Plant culture SB1-1110 Environmental sciences GE1-350 Plant ecology QK900-989 |
description |
Computer-automated image analysis techniques can save time and resources for detecting and counting birds in aerial imagery. Sophisticated object-based image analysis (OBIA) software is now widely available and has proven effective for various challenging detection tasks, but there is a need to develop accessible and readily adaptable procedures that can be implemented in an operational context. We developed a systematic, repeatable approach using commercial off-the-shelf OBIA software, and tested its effectiveness and efficiency to detect and count Lesser Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens) in large numbers of images of breeding colonies across the Canadian Arctic that present a variety of landscapes, numerous confounding features, and varying illumination conditions and exposure levels. Coarse-scale review of analysis results was necessary to remove conspicuous clusters of commission errors, thus rendering the technique semiautomated. It was effective for imagery with spatial resolutions of 4-5 cm, producing overall accurate estimates of goose numbers compared to manual counts (R2 = 0.998, regression coefficient = 0.974) in 41 test images drawn from several breeding colonies. The total automated count (19,920) across all test images exceeded the manual count (19,836) by just 0.4%. We estimate the typical time required to review images for errors to be only 5-10% of that required to count birds manually. This could reduce the person-time required to analyze aerial photos of the major Arctic colonies of Snow Geese from several months to several days. Our approach could be adapted to many other bird detection tasks in aerial imagery by anyone possessing at least basic skills in image analysis and geographic information systems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dominique Chabot Christopher Dillon Charles M. Francis |
author_facet |
Dominique Chabot Christopher Dillon Charles M. Francis |
author_sort |
Dominique Chabot |
title |
An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
title_short |
An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
title_full |
An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
title_fullStr |
An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
title_full_unstemmed |
An approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
title_sort |
approach for using off-the-shelf object-based image analysis software to detect and count birds in large volumes of aerial imagery |
publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01205-130115 https://doaj.org/article/ea924fb6d7314bbcbccc5a6e4e60add5 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Avian Conservation and Ecology, Vol 13, Iss 1, p 15 (2018) |
op_relation |
http://www.ace-eco.org/vol13/iss1/art15/ https://doaj.org/toc/1712-6568 1712-6568 doi:10.5751/ACE-01205-130115 https://doaj.org/article/ea924fb6d7314bbcbccc5a6e4e60add5 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-01205-130115 |
container_title |
Avian Conservation and Ecology |
container_volume |
13 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1766334235220639744 |