Reaction to the drone
The ratio of drone response to no response was almost half and half (52.8% - reaction, 47.2% - no reaction, chi-square test: χ2 = 1.052; p = 0.30, n = 343).
However, the drone-induced response was usually insignificant (birds moved slowly away or flew away for a short distance): most drone missions (84.8%) yielded a combination of no response and insignificant reactions. Significant reactions, i.e. birds being flushed from the sample plot or attacking the drone, together accounted for 15.2% (chi-square test: χ2 = 10.828; p < 0.001). This indicates that negligible (not significant for birds) reactions or none at all constitute the statistically significant majority (Table 2). The feasibility of counting birds using a drone was confirmed in 331 cases (n = 343, Table 2).
Table 2. Results of chi-square goodness of fit tests regarding the reaction of birds to the appearance of a drone. NAR = Non-acceptable response