Data and code to compare acoustic ARU and point count data for shorebird species presence across Alaska's North Slope

The rapid decline of global bird populations demands effective monitoring approaches, particularly for shorebirds, which are experiencing alarming population decreases. Most shorebird surveys rely on traditional visual survey methods, but face significant challenges in remote locations like the Arctic, where high costs and logistical constraints limit survey effort and duration. We compared visual area search surveys and acoustic recording units (ARUs) for monitoring shorebird species in two large regions of Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain in 2022-2023. We deployed ARUs at 129 sites (54 in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, ANWR, 75 in Teshekpuk Lake Special Area, TESH; ~11,000-18,000 hours of acoustic recordings) where visual surveys were also conducted (~83-113 hours in total), and examined differences in species richness, encounter rates, and predicted distribution patterns for 12 shorebird species or species groups. ARUs detected 50% higher species richness in ANWR and 33..., , # Data and code to compare acoustic ARU and point count data for shorebird species presence across Alaska's North Slope

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.7wm37pw54](10.5061/dryad.7wm37pw54)

## Description of the data and file structure

This dataset contains counts and presence/absence data for acoustic and visual detections of 12 shorebird species at plots across Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain in June-August of 2022-2023 as part of the Program for Regional and International Shorebird Monitoring (PRISM). Acoustic data was collected using autonomous recording devices (Audiomoth recorders). Specifics of data collection (exact plot locations and dates) can be found in the manuscript associated with this dataset. This dataset also includes code and data related to the comparison of these two data collection methods (acoustic and visual) including the creation of species accumulation curves and species distribution models. Models included environmental data extracted from online sources; the spec...,