"For the previous project, we monitored the bird song on the islands and now we are moving on from that and counting the number of species of birds and the number of birds of each species."
Sera says the birds have previously been counted manually which is challenging for the counters and disruptive to the birds.
"We will change the way we monitor them by using drones to count birds, including at night with thermal imaging cameras."
She says the aim is to get accurate counts of bird populations with minimal human interaction.
A group of coastal Taranaki schools and hapū are also involved.
"They will be involved in the whole process, including the planning and the monitoring. It's a cool educational opportunity."
Sera says as well as finding a better way to monitor the birds, the project will also help the Taranaki Mounga project benchmark its pest control efforts.
"A lot of the science will help validate the predator-free status of these islands."