Kogi State Bird Research

USING MACHINE LEARNING TO STUDY BIRD–ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS IN KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Kogi State, situated at the heart of Nigeria, serves as a vital ecological crossroads where the country's major vegetation zones converge. Its landscape spans tropical forests, savannas, wetlands, and transitional ecosystems—offering a rare concentration of habitat types in a single region. This exceptional diversity of habitats makes Kogi an ideal natural zone for studying how birds respond to environmental change, human activity, and shifting climate conditions.

BirdSpectra is conducting one of the most comprehensive and methodologically robust bird research projects ever undertaken in Nigeria. This one-year research, from January to December 2025, spans the three geopolitical zones of Kogi State, combining bird monitoring with in-depth environmental analysis.

Data is being collected across nine major habitat types, sampled in triplicate (27 ecological points). At each site, we record bird species, alongside critical climatic (rainfall, temperature, humidity), environmental (vegetation data, elevation), and anthropogenic (noise level, proximity to human settlement and road) factors—ensuring high scientific resolution and consistency.

Using machine learning models, we are analyzing how these factors interact to affect bird populations over time. The study will help us identify vulnerable species, key drivers of bird population, simulate future scenarios under anthropogenic, environmental and climate changes, uncovering many more insights critical to conservation action in Kogi State.

Most importantly, findings will guide targeted interventions (including tree planting, habitat restoration, and public awareness efforts), linking science directly to smart conservation action.