Have you ever wished you could listen in on the secret sounds of the bush? Eco-acoustic monitoring makes that possible — and a new fact sheet produced by the Glossy Black Conservancy shows you how to get started.
Eco-acoustic monitoring (sometimes called passive acoustic monitoring or PAM) is like putting “ears” into the landscape. Small sound recorders capture entire soundscapes — from bird calls and frog choruses to bats, insects, wind, and even distant water. These recordings can then be transformed into visual spectrograms and analysed by people or AI tools to reveal which species are present and how healthy an ecosystem is.
Because it’s non-invasive, eco-acoustics lets us detect wildlife and measure habitat health without disturbing the environment. Recorders can run 24/7 for weeks or months, even in places people rarely visit — producing data that’s transforming conservation projects across Australia.
Researchers from QUT, Griffith University and the University of the Sunshine Coast have shown just how effective this method can be: eco-acoustic recorders detected Glossy Black-Cockatoos at 33% of sites, compared with just 3% detected by traditional surveys.
Our new Eco-acoustic Monitoring fact sheet includes a simple step-by-step checklist for getting started, recommended tools and software, and practical tips drawn from real-world experience. It covers:
- Choosing and deploying sound recorders safely
- Analysing and validating data using tools like BirdNET Analyzer and Raven Pro
- Avoiding common pitfalls, like inconsistent settings or relying solely on AI outputs
- Combining acoustic data with other monitoring methods for richer insights
Best of all, the fact sheet shows how community groups and volunteers can play a vital role in this rapidly growing field. With the right planning and equipment, even small teams can contribute valuable biodiversity data and help track changes in local ecosystems.
Watch the Tech Meets Nature Showcase sessions related to Eco-acoustics:
- Tools and Methods for Acoustic Monitoring with the Conservancy’s Dr Danielle Teixeira: https://youtu.be/K06QRpgHxjQ
- Listening in: How Passive Acoustic Monitoring is changing wildlife surveys: https://youtu.be/zLE643BporQ
The Tech Meets Nature Showcase was produced as part of National Science Week 2025 and received grant funding through Inspiring Australia – An Australian Government Initiative.
