Kunming in southwest China’s Yunnan Province is using AI bird monitoring to protect migratory species. This technology allows researchers to identify individual birds, record behaviors, and analyze population trends, transforming traditional conservation methods.
Every winter, tens of thousands of black-headed gulls migrate from Siberia to Dianchi Lake in Kunming. This year, high-definition cameras, drones, and AI systems awaited the birds. These tools enhance ecological research while reducing human disturbance.
Since October 2022, the Kunming Dianchi Plateau Lake Research Institute has operated an intelligent observation program near Haigeng Dam. Over two years, the system revealed that the main flock arrived about ten days later in 2024 than in previous years. This data provides crucial insights into migration patterns.
Unlike manual observation, AI bird monitoring uses neural networks, drones, microphones, and high-resolution cameras. Researchers rely on plumage patterns, beak shape, and body size as “identity markers” to identify species, track migration routes, and build dynamic wildlife databases.
“Previously, monitoring required two professional birders for a full day,” said Pan Min, deputy director of the institute. “Now, AI completes the work in hours with 90 percent accuracy, while recording feeding and roosting behaviors.”
The system has identified 17 bird species at demonstration sites in Kunming. It has created a database containing hundreds of thousands of images, videos, and audio recordings. Acoustic recognition tools also identify species like night herons and magpies using their unique calls.
Engineer Zhang Zhizhong highlighted that AI monitoring allows researchers to study long-term changes in communities, migration patterns, and breeding habits. The system also helps assess wetland ecological health and biodiversity levels.
The technology’s reliability was validated in a paper published in the Journal of Environmental Management in May 2025. Other regions, including Chongqing’s Shuangguihu National Wetland Park and Shandong’s Yellow River Delta Reserve, are implementing similar AI systems. These platforms track thousands of birds and aid scientific management.
Zhang emphasized that AI reduces human interference while improving data accuracy. “Intelligent monitoring opens new opportunities to understand and protect biodiversity,” he said.
As AI bird monitoring expands across China, experts predict it will strengthen wildlife conservation, advance ecological research, and improve sustainable management practices nationwide.
