Point Count Mode was developed for standardized bird counts at a fixed location.
It is especially suited for mapping, scientific surveys, and citizen-science projects in which the observation period is precisely defined. During the session, BirdNET Live analyzes the surroundings in real time and documents all recognized animal sounds.
Unlike Live Mode, you do not move during a point count. Instead, you stay in one place for a set period and let the app capture all audible species.
Typical use cases
Point Count Mode is especially suited for:
- standardized bird mapping
- scientific surveys
- monitoring projects
- school projects and excursions
- citizen-science projects
What is Point Count Mode not suited for?
- exploring nature spontaneously
- recording continuously during outings and hikes
- using your phone as a recorder
How Point Count Mode works
- Select Point Count Mode in BirdNET Live.
- Complete the setup wizard.
- Enter the details. Set the duration of the point count. If needed, assign a name to the survey point and add further metadata.
- Set the analysis settings. Here you define how the AI model analyzes the recorded sounds. See Settings for more information. The default settings are suitable for most applications.
- Review the field tips.
- Check the configuration and start the point count.
- A countdown shows the remaining time while BirdNET Live continuously recognizes animal sounds.
- When the time is up, the session ends and is saved automatically.
Evaluating the results
After the point count is finished, you’ll find the session in Sessions. There you can review all detections again, check audio recordings and spectrograms, and export or share the results with others.
Settings and tips
If you want to improve your recording quality, take a look at the settings and tips.
Settings and tips