FAQs
What are some common issues when setting up the app account - and how can they be resolved?
If you haven’t received a verification email, please first check your spam folder. If you don’t find it in spam, please retry the sign-up process, ensuring you’ve entered the correct email address. If the issue persists, don’t hesitate to contact us at: info@dawn-chorus.org.
Once your email has been verified, simply log in with the respective email and password you entered during sign-up. If you’ve forgotten your password, click on “Forgotten Password,” and you’ll be directed to the Dawn Chorus website to re-enter your email. You will then be sent instructions to reset your account.
Is it possible to use the Dawn Chorus App without an internet connection?
The App can be used offline. In this case recordings you make are stored on your device until you connect it to the internet again. During offline use the AI species suggestion function will be running on-device.
What kind of personal data does Dawn Chorus gather from its users, and how is this information used?
For our science and art database, we collect sound recordings, coupled with location information (GPS). Please make sure you do not record any speech.
For our account management, we ask you to provide your email address and name (or pseudonym). We will only use your recordings for scientific or artistic purposes in an anonymised way.
We do store your account information if you are using our app but you can also provide recordings anonymously by using the web upload form on our website. If you indicate so during the app sign-up process, we may use your email address to contact you in case of questions relating to your recording. Our email newsletter is our main channel of communication.
Why does Dawn Chorus require access to my current location?
For acoustic biomonitoring, it is required to know where the sounds were recorded. For this, we require access to your GPS location during the sound recording process. Your location also allows the app to provide you with the best recording times and a more accurate list of birds at your location. If you turn off the permission to access your location you can still make and upload recordings. We would like to ask you to give us a location as precise as you are willing to reveal since this is important information for the scientific data collection (e.g. use the next best cross road from your home instead of your garden).
What is the recommended method for recording bird vocalisations, to achieve the best results?
We are looking for real-life recordings that document the dawn chorus at your given location. For undisturbed recordings, we recommend placing your smartphone on a stable surface rather than holding it, as this may introduce unintentional noise. If you notice wind, you may try to place your phone out of the wind to avoid the bird songs being masked by wind noises in the recording.
For the best scientific value, aim to record bird vocalisations between approximately one hour before dawn and one hour after sunrise (see 6 What are the optimal recording times?). For your convenience, we recommend using the feature that displays the ideal recording times at your location. You can find these in the bottom right corner of the app home screen.
It would be fantastic if you recorded the same location multiple times, e.g. over the course of one morning, or on multiple days – and if you like, over multiple years.
What are the optimal recording times?
Any contribution is highly appreciated, and we do welcome recordings outside of the optimal recording times. Our main data collection period is in the entire month of May. We are most interested in a time period between one hour before dawn until one hour after sunrise. The exact times vary with your location and date. If you have granted the app access to your location we provide you with the best time before sunrise which makes your recording most valuable.
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When recording bird vocalisations, should users select the single or three recording option, and what are the differences between them?
If possible, please prioritise choosing the three recordings option. The single recording option captures one minute of audio, while the three recording option makes three one-minute recordings evenly distributed over thirty minutes. Choose the single option for clear recordings, especially useful outside urban areas to reduce background noise. Select the three recording options in noisy environments or to get a more comprehensive picture of bird vocalisation variations.
Where can I find additional instructions on using the app?
To find additional instructions on using the app navigate to the ‘More’ button, found at the bottom of the app interface.
How can I change the language of the app?
Please navigate to the “More” button to change the language of the app. The languages available are English, German and Spanish.
How do I report technical issues or provide feedback on the app ?
Contact us using the contact form of the website (https://dawn-chorus.org/contact/). Please tell us the respective issue or feedback in the “Message” field and we will get back to you as fast as possible. Please be aware that this may take some time, especially during the project month of May.
What makes Dawn Chorus a Citizen Science project and what does this mean?
The Dawn Chorus project is a citizen science initiative that engages the public in collecting valuable data on bird vocalisations, thereby contributing to research on bird behaviour, population trends and conservation alongside professional scientists. Citizen scientists can also make essential contributions to the birdsong analysis and the development of our AI component through their birdsong expertise.
How many different bird species can the app recognize, and from which regions do they originate?
You are watching an ongoing and exciting project. Currently, the Dawn Chorus AI species suggestions are based on the BirdNET algorithm – which has been trained to recognise up to 6000 species worldwide. Our focus right now is on Europe.
Dawn Chorus recordings are especially difficult because many bird species overlap. So you should not be surprised to only get a very rough estimate of singing species in the first BETA version. If you feel you are an expert in bird song identification and you want to help to train an AI please contact us – citizen scientists are fundamental for improving the AI.
How can educators use the Dawn Chorus App for educational purposes?
Dawn Chorus can be used by educators in various different ways. On our website we offer background information and interactive educational materials on bioacoustics, soundscapes, and the peculiarities of a dawn chorus etc. For our German audience the website provides ready-to-use school materials around these topics and more (basic statistics, working scientifically with academic sources, interpretation of graphs and diagrams). This material has been developed for the (Bavarian) curriculum of school grades 6 and 12.