Valencia City Council and the UPV boost the monitoring of urban biodiversity using artificial intelligence

Valencia City Council and the Universitat Politècnica de València, through the Research Institute for Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM), have boosted the València-BioSoundScape project, an innovative initiative that combines artificial intelligence, acoustic monitoring and IoT technologies to analyse urban biodiversity through the city's soundscape. Over the past twelve months, the project has monitored bird activity across various natural areas of Valencia and has developed a pilot system capable of detecting species in real time.

València-BioSoundScape has enabled the collection of highly valuable acoustic data on the city's biodiversity by installing passive acoustic monitoring devices at eight strategic locations: five in the Turia Gardens and three in the Devesa de l'Albufera. The equipment recorded the soundscape during periods of peak bird activity, at dawn and dusk, creating a unique database of urban acoustic biodiversity.

In addition to this network of sensors, the project has developed a pilot system for real-time acoustic monitoring in collaboration with the University of Seville. Based on IoT technology, the system comprises a microphone, a mini-computer with artificial intelligence software, a self-contained battery and mobile connectivity. Its replicable and scalable design will enable this technology to be extended to other parks and natural spaces beyond the city of Valencia.

Using sound recordings captured by the installed devices, the system detects species using BirdNET, a bird classifier developed by Cornell University. At the same time, researchers from iTEAM and the Computer Vision and Behaviour Analysis Lab (CVBLab) at the UPV are developing new artificial intelligence models to improve the detection of the species most commonly found in the city.

Project results and routes on a website

Over the last twelve months, València-BioSoundScape has obtained acoustic indicators of biodiversity that enable the monitoring of changes in biological activity across different urban and natural areas of the city. The results are available via the project's web platform (BioSoundScape). The tool, developed by the company Artikode Intelligence, allows users to view the species detected, listen to their songs, learn about their seasonal patterns and obtain acoustic biodiversity indicators at five locations in the Turia Gardens and three in La Devesa.

The platform also includes routes designed by the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife) for birdwatching tailored to the different seasons of the year, promoting new ecotourism experiences and environmental awareness in the city of Valencia.

This initiative demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence and acoustic monitoring technologies to improve scientific understanding of urban biodiversity, support the sustainable management of natural spaces and bring science closer to citizens.

The Councillor for Innovation, Paula Llobet, also emphasised that this project "demonstrates how innovation can help us gain a better understanding of our natural environment and move towards a more sustainable city. The Urban Sandbox allows us to test innovative solutions in real-world conditions and turn Valencia into a benchmark for innovation applied to urban challenges".

Finally, she emphasised that "our collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica de València enables us to promote technologies that generate value for the city and its citizens".

Project details

València-BioSoundScape was selected in the City of Valencia Council's call for Public Grants for Innovation in the City of Valencia for the 2024 financial year, under the title 'Ecotourism and Biodiversity in the City of Valencia through Acoustic Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence'.

The project was developed over 18 months, between December 2024 and June 2026. It was led by Gema Piñero, a researcher with the GTAC group at the Research Institute for Telecommunications and Multimedia Applications (iTEAM) at the Universitat Politècnica de València. In addition to iTEAM-UPV, participants included the Computer Vision and Behaviour Analysis Lab (CVBLab) at the UPV, the company Artikode Intelligence, the Industrial Electronics and Computer Technology Group at the University of Seville, and the Spanish Ornithological Society (SEO/BirdLife).

The installation of the acoustic monitoring devices was coordinated and managed through the Valencia City Council's Sandbox Urbano service.

More info: BioSoundScape