What does a forest that is really used sound like? In spring 2026, acoustic monitoring was carried out in the forest at the Sattelbrunnen site. The result: a clearly forest-influenced sound pattern with a dominant lead species and an ensemble of typical forest birds - from the canopy to the bark.
A spring to listen to: Acoustic monitoring in the Sattelbrunnen forest
Between 13.01.2026 and 13.04.2026, acoustic monitoring was carried out in the forest on the Sattelbrunnen site. Instead of just recording what the area looks like, it was documented how it sounds - and therefore how it is actually used.
A total of 13 species were recorded, with a species richness of 45.5 % of the potentially detectable species. The sound pattern is clearly influenced by the forest: dominated by the coal tit and supplemented by species such as nuthatch, woodcreeper, goldcrest and other typical forest birds. Important: This is a single plot analysis - an acoustic portrait of Sattelbrunnen in spring 2026.
Acoustic monitoring in the forest: use instead of just structure
Vegetation data shows what an area looks like. Acoustic monitoring in the forest shows how it is used. A clear pattern emerges for Sattelbrunnen: the forest does not sound random, but functional.
The recorded species occupy different niches - from the canopy layer to trunks and bark to transitional areas. The strong presence of the pine tit speaks for coniferous, structurally rich stands. Nuthatches and treecreepers refer to usable trunk and bark structures, goldcrests to dense crown areas. Monitoring therefore not only records „whether species are there“, but also how the habitat is used on several levels.
Note on data distribution: The main activity of many species in this data set is up to mid-March. This fits with winter territory marking and first song - i.e. a phase in which the forest is already very active acoustically before the vegetation has fully sprouted.
What the acoustics reveal about spring 2026
The exciting question is not just how many records there are, but what ecological pattern lies behind them. For Sattelbrunnen, acoustic monitoring in the forest can be summarized in four points:
- Clear dominance of the pine tit
The site is acoustically strongly characterized by a forest species that is bound to suitable tree and canopy structures. - Structurally rich use of the stock
Nuthatches and woodcreepers show that bark, trunk and vertical structures are actively used. - Spring active supplement with typical songbirds
Species such as chaffinch and goldcrest show that the population is actively used seasonally. - Generalists in the supporting role
Typical common species only play a minor role in the sound - the profile remains forest-specific.
Sattelbrunnen provides a clear acoustic profile of an utilized forest site in spring 2026. The area is mainly used by typical forest birds, and the detection structure suggests habitat continuity and structural usability rather than random individual events.
The sound of spring on Sattelbrunnen
The period 13.01.2026 to 13.04.2026 shows Sattelbrunnen as a wooded, acoustically active site. The fir tit dominates the soundscape, while nuthatches, treecreepers, goldcrests and other species underline the structural diversity of the population.
The spring of 2026 in the Bavarian Forest sounds like forest - not like marginal use, but like a habitat that is used on several levels. Acoustic monitoring in the forest makes precisely this pattern of use visible and supplements classic vegetation data with the crucial question: How alive is a location really?
The article ties in directly with our earlier article on the Mill bar It's about the same forest areas, but this time from a different perspective. While we mainly showed there how we take responsibility with 5,000 m² of forest area, the acoustic monitoring now makes audible how this site is actually used in spring. In this way, area protection and sound image complement each other to create a joint portrait of the same forest.
Further information can be found on our Climate active -Page
