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Searching for the Lost Tooth-Billed Pigeon

Project Details:

The tooth-billed pigeon is a Critically Endangered bird native to the island of Samoa. Once numbering between 4,000-7,000 in the 1980s, the population has sharply declined due to predation from invasive species, habitat loss, and human hunting. The last confirmed sighting of this iconic pigeon was in 2013.

In Partnership With

SCS is a local non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of Samoa’s biological diversity and natural heritage. They work collaboratively with communities, the Government and partners to raise awareness on the state of Samoa’s environment and the species within. They further work with schools and youth groups to educate them on the natural heritage that we are blessed with, and actions that can help in species and habitat recovery.

BirdLife International’s mission is to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people toward sustainability in the use of natural resources.

Key activities of the Specialist Group include collaborating with Birdlife International to assess and monitor the status Columbiform species, working to raise the profile of threatened pigeons and doves, and convening expertise for conservation. This also entails facilitating communication between organizations involved in ex-situ and in-situ species programmes and between the scientific community and the holders of traditional ecological knowledge. We believe that this group has the potential to become a driving force for the conservation of Columbiformes worldwide, and are committed to growing a diverse network of people who will help us achieve this.

The tooth-billed pigeon is a Critically Endangered bird native to the island of Samoa. Once numbering between 4,000-7,000 in the 1980s, the population has sharply declined due to predation from invasive species, habitat loss, and human hunting. The last confirmed sighting of this iconic pigeon was in 2013.

In partnership with the Samoa Conservation Society, BirdLife International, and the IUCN SSC Pigeon and Dove Specialist Group, The Colossal Foundation is working to locate the lost tooth-billed pigeon using AI-powered bioacoustic technology. This project aims to develop AI algorithms to detect and identify tooth-billed pigeon calls captured on microphones deployed on the forests of Samoa. 

Advanced signal processing techniques will be used to filter background noise, followed by segmenting the audio into manageable bits for detailed analysis to distinguish the calls of the tooth-billed pigeon from other animal sounds. By identifying unique audio features, the A.I. will be able to isolate the target bird calls effectively. When the model recognizes the specific audio patterns of tooth-billed pigeon calls, it will notify the concerned authorities in real time.

These tools will enhance efforts by conservationists to locate any remaining populations of the “little dodo” so that conservation actions can be implemented to restore the species and save it from extinction.  

 

AI representation of tooth-billed pigeon

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE EFFORT:

Bioacoustic Monitoring: 

Audio data captured by microphones will be analyzed using machine learning algorithms to identify the calls of the tooth-billed pigeon. Advanced signal processing techniques are used to filter out background noise and distinguish between the unique calls of the tooth-billed pigeon from other sounds.