Munich automates bird monitoring to track species around the clock

Before Hula

Gaps between field visits

Munich wanted to know which birds were present at selected sites across the city to help guide its conservation work. Traditional bird surveys record what observers find during scheduled visits. Each visit offers a snapshot, making it difficult to tell whether a bird population is changing over time and, if so, how.

The Hula solution

Acoustic sensors at five urban sites

Munich worked with Hula to set up automated, AI-assisted monitoring at five sites, including Authariplatz, Magdalenenpark and Westfriedhof. The birds present at each site provide an indication of the health of the local ecosystem.

• BioT sensors record bird sounds continuously, day and night.
• AI identifies species from their calls and songs, supplementing observations from field visits.
• Satellite data add information about vegetation health and the condition of the surrounding ecosystem.

The Hula impact

What continuous monitoring makes possible

For the first time, Munich has a continuous, comparable record across all five sites. The sensors collect data in all weather conditions and at all hours, independently of survey schedules. The city can now track how bird presence changes at each site and compare sites directly. Gathering data on this scale through traditional field surveys would be difficult to organise and beyond a municipal budget.

With this baseline, Munich can use the data to identify urban bird hotspots and refuges for the first time. That evidence can guide future measures to protect habitats and species. Munich can extend the same method to other sites, and other cities can adopt it without having to design a new survey for each location.

“Only when we know which animals live where and how many there are can we take action to protect endangered species.”

Christine Kugler, Head of the Department of Climate and Environmental Protection, City of Munich