Project description
From snapshots to continuous ecological monitoring
Understanding how wildlife interacts with ecosystems remains a major challenge, as traditional monitoring methods often capture only isolated snapshots of animal behaviour. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ORNISCOPE project is combining smart cameras with AI to track bird activity continuously in natural environments. It will develop a low-power camera network and a customised AI model capable of detecting and identifying bird species, enabling automated wildlife monitoring to shed light on how forest structure influences bird-mediated pest control. The project will also deliver open-access hardware, software and datasets to make advanced biodiversity monitoring more accessible and cost-effective. Overall, ORNISCOPE could support more effective biodiversity conservation and sustainable landscape management.
Objective
What if we could watch nature as it happens, not just in snapshots? ORNISCOPE turns snapshots into flow with energy-efficient smart cameras and server-side AI that run for days in the field at 2 frames per second.
The project bridges field ecology and smart sensing in a natural feedback loop:
(1) Model. In year one, we retrain a deep-learning model on a remote server using a large, curated image set so it precisely filters empty frames, flags bird activity, and identifies species.
(2) Network. Following the model retraining, we build a modular network of low-power cameras that capture and buffer images locally, then automatically send them to the server, where the customised model performs filtering and identification.
(3) Ecology. With this tool in place, during the second year, we conduct a field study across forests that differ in structure and management, pairing camera outputs with bird counts, insect sampling, and leaf-damage surveys.
From these data, we compute the Functional Insectivory Index (FII): a simple, behaviour-based indicator of natural pest control that merges bird abundance, trait-based potential to eat herbivores, and observed predation captured by cameras. FII enables researchers and managers to compare sites consistently and track how management affects biocontrol.
The project delivers new evidence on how forest structure and management history shape predator–prey dynamics and bird-mediated pest suppression, plus a reusable open-access toolset (hardware designs, software, datasets) that lowers the cost of precise, high-volume ecological monitoring. As an MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship, it also provides advanced training in AI, field ecology, and open science, strengthening European capacity for nature management. By turning snapshots into flow, ORNISCOPE supports faster, better-informed decisions for a healthier, more resilient nature and smarter landscape management.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors optical sensors
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology entomology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
370 05 Ceske Budejovice
Czechia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.