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Terrestrial bioacoustic census is a difficult problem because of propagation characteristics, obstructions, the diversity of bioacoustic sources, and the impact of noise. To address this problem we have developed VoxNet, a complete hardware and software platform for distributed acoustic monitoring applications. Each VoxNet node is a portable, self‐contained processor with a small four‐channel acoustic array. Using a distributed set of VoxNet nodes, a forested habitat can be monitored and the behavior of animals can be recorded and analyzed acoustically. In this work we present our experiences applying VoxNet to bioacoustic census. This work is based on data collected using the system during a deployment in Chiapas, Mexico at the Chajul Biological Field Station. The Chajul station is located in a region of dense rain forest and is home to Mexico's most diverse ecosystem. Using VoxNet in this harsh environment, we obtained census estimates based on observation of bird calls.

Tropical rainforests contain diverse avian communities incorporating species that compete vocally to propagate their signals to intended receivers. In order to effectively communicate with birds of the same species, birds need to organize their song performance temporally and spatially. An automated identification and localization system can provide information on the spatial and temporal arrangement of songs. Acoustic sensor arrays were tested for the ability to localize the source of songs of antbirds recorded in a Mexican rainforest. Pilot studies with a five‐node array arranged in a rough circle with a 20‐m diameter located the song of Dusky Antbird (Cercomacra tyrannina) with an error of 73 cm and Mexican Antthrush (Formicarius moniliger) with an error of 65 cm from the location of a source loudspeaker within the array. An additional source 21 m outside was also localized. Results will be presented for experiments and recordings of individuals at the Mexican rainforest site in October 2006. Locations...