The project, which is supported by Microsoft, Avanade and nature reserve NatureScot, could transform the way animal colonies are counted when companies such as those building developments want to understand the impact on local wildlife, the operator said. The trials are taking place on the Isle of May off the coast of Scotland.
In order to count puffins, traditionally rangers would lie on the ground and put their hand into burrows to feel for a pair of puffins and their egg. But very often, the birds would give these rangers a bite or a scratch. The rangers would check tens of thousands in an area.
While they are not at imminent risk of extinction, puffins are on the Birds of Conservation Concern 4 Red List, meaning that there are serious concerns over numbers in the wild. One reason for this is puffin couples only lay one egg a year. It’s why rangers take part in counting projects in places such as the Farne Islands, the Shetland Islands and the Isle...