Automated bird sound classifications of long-duration recordings produce occupancy model outputs similar to manually annotated data

Occupancy modeling is used to evaluate avian distributions and habitat associations, yet it typically requires extensive survey effort because a minimum of three repeat samples are required for accurate parameter estimation. Autonomous recording units (ARUs) can reduce the need for surveyors on site, yet ARUs utility were limited by hardware costs and the time required to manually annotate recordings. Software that identifies bird vocalizations may reduce expert time needed, if classification is sufficiently accurate. We assessed the performance of BirdNET – an automated classifier capable of identifying vocalizations from >900 North American and European bird species – by comparing automated to manual annotations of recordings of 13 breeding bird species collected in northwestern California. We compared the parameter estimates of occupancy models evaluating habitat associations supplied with manually annotated data (9 min recording segments) to output from models supplied with BirdN...