Rapid drone semi‐automated counts of wintering Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) as a tool for amateur researchers

Abstract

Drone‐conducted aerial counts of waterbirds are at least as accurate as traditional ground counts and drastically reduce fieldwork resource expenditures, but the image processing can be very time‐consuming. The aim of the present study was to compare the accuracy, precision and time requirement of semi‐automated counts, using drone‐derived imagery, carried out with the open‐access ImageJ software, in comparison with conventional ground methods for counting wintering Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus. Semi‐automated counts were easy to execute, affordable and safe for birds. They were faster and yielded more reliable and consistent results than traditional ground count approaches, providing a simple, accessible method for use by amateur ornithologists.