Species-Specific Analysis Profiles

Table of contents

  1. Overview
  2. Automatic Profile Detection
  3. Profile Specifications
    1. General Profile
    2. Bat Profile
    3. Bird Profile
    4. Frog Profile
    5. Insect Profile
    6. Cetaceans Profile
  4. Profile Comparison
  5. Customizing Profiles
    1. Manual Profile Selection
    2. Parameter Adjustment
    3. Creating Custom Workflows
  6. Advanced Profile Features
    1. Automatic Taxon Detection
    2. Profile Optimization Research
    3. Future Profile Development
  7. Best Practices
    1. Profile Selection Guidelines
    2. Optimization Strategies
  8. Troubleshooting Profile Issues
    1. Common Problems
    2. Getting Help

Overview

iNatSpectro includes six specialized analysis profiles, each optimized for different types of animal sounds based on extensive bioacoustic research and field testing. These profiles automatically adjust FFT parameters, frequency ranges, and visualization settings to highlight the most important characteristics of each animal group’s vocalizations.

Automatic Profile Detection

The extension automatically detects the species being observed using iNaturalist’s taxon information and applies the most appropriate profile:

  • Taxon Mapping: Uses iNaturalist’s taxonomic hierarchy to match observations
  • Intelligent Fallbacks: Falls back to broader taxonomic groups when specific matches aren’t found
  • Manual Override: Users can manually select any profile if auto-detection isn’t optimal

Profile Specifications

General Profile

Optimized for: Mixed wildlife sounds, unknown species, general bioacoustic analysis

Technical Parameters:

  • Frequency Range: 100 Hz - 12 kHz
  • Base Resolution: 200 pixels/second
  • FFT Window Size: 512 samples
  • Scale Mode: Logarithmic
  • Window Function: Hann
  • Overlap: 50%

Best Used For:

  • Initial analysis of unknown sounds
  • General wildlife recordings
  • Mixed soundscapes with multiple species
  • Educational demonstrations

Frequency Coverage:

  • Covers most terrestrial animal vocalizations
  • Balances low-frequency environmental sounds with mid-range animal calls
  • Suitable for most bird songs, mammal calls, and insect sounds

Bat Profile

Optimized for: Ultrasonic echolocation calls, bat social calls, high-frequency analysis

Technical Parameters:

  • Frequency Range: 15 kHz - 120 kHz
  • Base Resolution: 400 pixels/second
  • FFT Window Size: 1024 samples
  • Scale Mode: Logarithmic
  • Window Function: Hann
  • Overlap: 75%

Best Used For:

  • Echolocation call analysis
  • Bat species identification
  • Ultrasonic sound detection
  • High-frequency temporal analysis

Specialized Features:

  • Ultrasonic Focus: Emphasizes frequencies above human hearing
  • High Temporal Resolution: Captures rapid echolocation sweeps
  • Extended Range: Supports analysis up to 120 kHz and beyond
  • Optimized for Short Calls: Enhanced for brief, intense vocalizations

Analysis Tips:

  • Look for characteristic frequency sweeps in echolocation
  • Examine call repetition rates for species identification
  • Use zoom to analyze individual call structure
  • Compare harmonic patterns in social calls

Bird Profile

Optimized for: Avian songs, calls, and vocalizations with perceptual frequency scaling

Technical Parameters:

  • Frequency Range: 100 Hz - 12 kHz
  • Base Resolution: 200 pixels/second
  • FFT Window Size: 1024 samples
  • Scale Mode: Mel (perceptual)
  • Window Function: Hann
  • Overlap: 50%

Best Used For:

  • Bird song analysis and identification
  • Vocal learning studies
  • Musical pattern recognition in bird calls
  • Comparative bioacoustics

Specialized Features:

  • Mel-Scale Rendering: Matches human auditory perception for better pattern recognition
  • Optimized Frequency Range: Covers most avian vocalizations
  • Enhanced Temporal Resolution: Captures rapid song elements
  • Harmonic Emphasis: Highlights tonal qualities of bird songs

Analysis Applications:

  • Species identification through song patterns
  • Dialect and geographic variation studies
  • Vocal development analysis
  • Dawn chorus composition analysis

Frog Profile

Optimized for: Amphibian calls, anuran vocalizations, low-frequency analysis

Technical Parameters:

  • Frequency Range: 150 Hz - 3 kHz
  • Base Resolution: 200 pixels/second
  • FFT Window Size: 1024 samples
  • Scale Mode: Linear
  • Window Function: Hann
  • Overlap: 50%

Best Used For:

  • Frog and toad call analysis
  • Breeding chorus studies
  • Low-frequency environmental sounds
  • Wetland acoustic monitoring

Specialized Features:

  • Low-Frequency Focus: Optimized for typical anuran call ranges
  • Linear Scaling: Provides equal resolution across the frequency range
  • Extended Temporal Analysis: Captures long calls and choruses
  • Environmental Integration: Includes context frequencies for habitat sounds

Analysis Applications:

  • Species identification in breeding choruses
  • Call timing and overlap analysis
  • Seasonal activity monitoring
  • Habitat quality assessment through acoustic diversity

Insect Profile

Optimized for: Arthropod sounds, insect calls, mid-to-high frequency analysis

Technical Parameters:

  • Frequency Range: 1 kHz - 20 kHz
  • Base Resolution: 200 pixels/second
  • FFT Window Size: 256 samples
  • Scale Mode: Logarithmic
  • Window Function: Hann
  • Overlap: 50%

Best Used For:

  • Cricket and katydid analysis
  • Cicada call studies
  • Insect acoustic communication
  • Arthropod biodiversity monitoring

Specialized Features:

  • Mid-High Frequency Focus: Targets typical insect communication ranges
  • Fast Temporal Resolution: Captures rapid chirps and trills
  • Optimized for Repetitive Patterns: Enhanced for rhythmic insect calls
  • Noise Reduction: Filters out low-frequency environmental noise

Analysis Applications:

  • Species identification through call patterns
  • Temperature correlation studies (cricket chirp rates)
  • Mating behavior analysis
  • Seasonal emergence timing

Cetaceans Profile

Optimized for: Marine mammal vocalizations, underwater acoustics, long-range calls

Technical Parameters:

  • Frequency Range: 20 Hz - 24 kHz
  • Base Resolution: 150 pixels/second
  • FFT Window Size: 4096 samples
  • Scale Mode: Mel (perceptual)
  • Window Function: Hann
  • Overlap: 75%

Best Used For:

  • Whale and dolphin call analysis
  • Marine mammal identification
  • Long-distance communication studies
  • Underwater acoustic research

Specialized Features:

  • Extended Low-Frequency Range: Captures infrasonic whale calls
  • High Frequency Resolution: Large FFT size for detailed spectral analysis
  • Mel-Scale Rendering: Emphasizes perceptually important frequency regions
  • Long-Duration Optimization: Designed for extended vocalizations

Analysis Applications:

  • Species identification through signature calls
  • Migration tracking through acoustic monitoring
  • Social behavior analysis
  • Human impact assessment on marine soundscapes

Profile Comparison

FeatureGeneralBatBirdFrogInsectCetaceans
Min Frequency100 Hz15 kHz100 Hz150 Hz1 kHz20 Hz
Max Frequency12 kHz120 kHz12 kHz3 kHz20 kHz24 kHz
Resolution200 px/s400 px/s200 px/s200 px/s200 px/s150 px/s
FFT Size5121024102410242564096
Scale ModeLogLogMelLinearLogMel
Best ForGeneral useUltrasonicSongs/callsLow freqMid-high freqMarine mammals

Customizing Profiles

Manual Profile Selection

You can override automatic detection by:

  1. Opening Settings Panel: Click the gear icon (⚙️)
  2. Profile Dropdown: Select from the available profiles
  3. Immediate Application: Changes apply instantly to the current spectrogram
  4. Persistent Choice: Your selection is remembered for future visits

Parameter Adjustment

Each profile serves as a starting point that you can customize:

Live Parameters (adjustable in real-time):

  • Frequency range (min/max)
  • Resolution (50-800 px/s)
  • Scale mode (logarithmic/linear/mel)
  • Display parameters (gamma, window, percentile, smoothing)

Profile Reset: Use the “Reset Profile” button to return to default settings

Creating Custom Workflows

For Research Applications:

  1. Start with the appropriate species profile
  2. Adjust parameters based on your specific research questions
  3. Document your settings for reproducibility
  4. Use consistent parameters across related analyses

For Identification Tasks:

  1. Begin with auto-detected profile
  2. Compare with reference spectrograms using same settings
  3. Adjust frequency range to highlight diagnostic features
  4. Use zoom and pan to examine details

Advanced Profile Features

Automatic Taxon Detection

The system uses iNaturalist’s taxonomic hierarchy:

Observation → Taxon ID → Ancestor Chain → Profile Mapping

Mapping Examples:

  • Myotis lucifugus → Chiroptera → Bat Profile
  • Turdus migratorius → Aves → Bird Profile
  • Lithobates catesbeianus → Anura → Frog Profile
  • Gryllus pennsylvanicus → Orthoptera → Insect Profile
  • Megaptera novaeangliae → Cetacea → Cetaceans Profile

Profile Optimization Research

Each profile is based on:

  • Literature Review: Published bioacoustic research
  • Field Testing: Real-world validation with diverse recordings
  • User Feedback: Community input and usage patterns
  • Technical Optimization: Performance and accuracy balance

Future Profile Development

Planned enhancements include:

  • Regional Variants: Profiles adapted for different geographic regions
  • Habitat-Specific: Profiles optimized for different acoustic environments
  • User-Defined: Custom profiles created and shared by users
  • Machine Learning: AI-assisted profile optimization based on usage data

Best Practices

Profile Selection Guidelines

  1. Trust Auto-Detection: The system is highly accurate for most observations
  2. Consider Context: Think about the recording environment and target species
  3. Experiment: Try different profiles to highlight different aspects
  4. Document Choices: Record which profile and settings work best for your use cases

Optimization Strategies

For Scientific Work:

  • Use consistent profiles across related studies
  • Document all parameter changes
  • Validate results with multiple profile settings
  • Consider the biological relevance of frequency ranges

For Education:

  • Start with General profile for overview
  • Switch to species-specific profiles to highlight adaptations
  • Use profile comparisons to demonstrate acoustic diversity
  • Encourage experimentation with different settings

Troubleshooting Profile Issues

Common Problems

Auto-detection not working:

  • Check that the observation has proper taxonomic identification
  • Verify the species is in a supported taxonomic group
  • Try manual profile selection as a workaround

Poor visualization quality:

  • Experiment with different profiles
  • Adjust frequency range for your specific audio
  • Try different scale modes (log/linear/mel)
  • Modify resolution based on audio duration and detail needs

Performance issues:

  • Use lower resolution for long recordings
  • Consider General profile for initial analysis
  • Reduce browser memory usage by closing other tabs

Getting Help

For profile-related questions: