README.md

metadata

license: cc0-1.0
language:
  - en
pretty_name: kabr-tools methodology dataset
task_categories:
  - time-series-forecasting
  - tabular-classification
tags:
  - biology
  - behavioural-ecology
  - animals
  - zebras
  - giraffes
  - drone
  - csv
  - xml
size_categories:
  - 1K<n<10K

Dataset Card for kabr-tools methodology dataset

A curated collection of CSV and XML files describing time-budget data, focal observations, scan samples, and object-detection annotations for African ungulates—including Grevy’s zebras, plains zebras, and giraffes—recorded both from the ground and from drones. The dataset supports:

• Object detection benchmarks (PASCAL-VOC XML).
• Behaviour classification and time-budget analyses from per-individual CSV logs.
• Methodological comparisons between focal, scan, and drone-based sampling.

Dataset Details

Field	Value
Curated by	Jenna Kline et al., The Ohio State University & Imageomics Institute
Homepage	https://github.com/Imageomics/kabr-tools
Repository	https://github.com/Imageomics/kabr-tools
Paper	In preparation (2025)

Supported Tasks

Task	Files	Notes
Object detection	*_annotations.xml	PASCAL-VOC format derived from drone frames.
Behaviour / time-series classification	behavior/*.csv, *_timebudgets.csv	Ethogram codes at 1 s resolution + per-bout time budgets.
Methodology analysis	methodology_comparison/*/*.csv	Paired datasets for focal vs drone and scan vs focal.

---

Dataset Structure (files with purposes)

├── kabr-methodology
│   ├── focalvsdrone
│   │   ├── focal_drone_df_12_01_23_female_grevy.csv
│   │   ├── focal_drone_df_16_01_23_thick_neck_stripes.csv
│   │   ├── focal_drone_df_16_01_23_white_female.csv
│   │   ├── focal_drone_df_17_01_23_scar_cleaned.csv
│   |   └── readme.txt
│   |
│   └── scanvsfocal
│       ├── giraffe_focal1-female.csv
│       ├── giraffe_focal1-male.csv
│       ├── giraffe_focal2-white_neck_male.csv
│       ├── Scan_giraffe_group_1.csv
│       ├── Scan_giraffe_group_2.csv
│       ├── Focal grevys group 1 morning 01_11.csv
│       ├── Focal grevys group 2_a 01_11.csv
│       ├── Focal grevys group 2_b 01_11.csv
│       ├── Focal grevys group 2_c 01_11.csv
│       ├── Scan grevys group 1 morning 01_11.csv
│       ├── Scan grevys group 2_a 01_11.csv
│       ├── Scan grevys group 2_b 01_11.csv
│       ├── Scan grevys group 2_c 01_11.csv
│       ├── plain_Focal-group_1.csv
│       ├── plain_Focal-group_2.csv
│       ├── plain_Scan-group_1.csv
│       └── plain_Scan-group_2.csv

File-by-file purposes

kabr-methodology/focalvsdrone

Description:

Paired focal observation and synchronized drone log for 4 individual zebras. Each CSV contains time-aligned behaviour states from ground focal sampling and drone footage, enabling direct comparison of behavioural data collected via the two methods.

Columns:

Column	Description
frame	Sequential frame number in the processed dataset
behavior	Behavior label from drone video annotation in CVAT
video_frame	Original frame number from the source video file
time-date	Timestamp (YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)
focal_behavior	Behavior recorded from focal animal observation

Files:

• focal_drone_df_12_01_23_female_grevy.csv — Paired focal observation and synchronized drone log for a female Grevy's zebra on 12-01-2023.
• focal_drone_df_16_01_23_thick_neck_stripes.csv — Paired focal vs drone for ID "thick_neck_stripes" on 16-01-2023.
• focal_drone_df_16_01_23_white_female.csv — Paired focal vs drone for "white_female" on 16-01-2023.
• focal_drone_df_17_01_23_scar_cleaned.csv — Cleaned paired focal vs drone trace for "scar" on 17-01-2023.

kabr-methodology/scanvsfocal

Description:

Paired scan sample and focal observation logs for groups of giraffes, Grevy’s zebras, and plains zebras. Each CSV contains time-aligned behaviour states from group-level scan sampling and individual focal sessions, enabling direct comparison of behavioural data collected via the two methods, exported from the AnimalBehaviourPro app.

Columns:

Column	Description
Date_ymd	Date of observation (YYYY-MM-DD format)
Time_Absolute_hms	Absolute time of day when behavior was recorded (HH:MM:SS)
Time_Relative_hms	Time relative to start of observation session (HH:MM:SS)
Time_Relative_s	Time relative to start of observation session in seconds
Time_Lag_s	Time lag between current and previous event in seconds
Duration_s	Duration of the behavioral state in seconds
Observation_Name	Type of observation method ("AdLib" for ad libitum sampling)
Log_File_Name	Source log file name
Actor	Individual animal being observed (e.g., "Male w/ scar on neck")
Behavior	Observed behavior (e.g., "Stand", "Walk")
Receiver	Target of social behaviors (empty for non-social behaviors)
Modifier_1 through Modifier_6	Additional behavioral modifiers (mostly empty)
Other_Modifiers	Additional modifiers not captured in numbered fields
Event_Type	Whether this marks the start or stop of a behavioral state
Observer_ID	Unique identifier for the observer (1234)
Notes	Additional notes about the observation (empty in this dataset)
Coding_Scheme	Behavioral coding scheme used ("Zebra")

Files:

• giraffe_focal1-female.csv — Giraffe focal log (behaviour states over time).
• giraffe_focal1-male.csv — Giraffe focal log (behaviour states over time).
• giraffe_focal2-white_neck_male.csv — Giraffe focal log (behaviour states over time).
• Scan_giraffe_group_1.csv — Group-level scan sample for giraffes (group 1).
• Scan_giraffe_group_2.csv — Group-level scan sample for giraffes (group 2).
• Focal grevys group 1 morning 01_11.csv — Group 1 focal session (AM), 01-11.
• Focal grevys group 2_a 01_11.csv — Group 2 focal session (sub-bout a), 01-11.
• Focal grevys group 2_b 01_11.csv — Group 2 focal session (sub-bout b), 01-11.
• Focal grevys group 2_c 01_11.csv — Group 2 focal session (sub-bout c), 01-11.
• Scan grevys group 1 morning 01_11.csv — Group 1 scan sample (AM), 01-11.
• Scan grevys group 2_a 01_11.csv — Group 2 scan sample (sub-bout a), 01-11.
• Scan grevys group 2_b 01_11.csv — Group 2 scan sample (sub-bout b), 01-11.
• Scan grevys group 2_c 01_11.csv — Group 2 scan sample (sub-bout c), 01-11.
• plain_Focal-group_1.csv — Plains zebra focal log (group 1).
• plain_Focal-group_2.csv — Plains zebra focal log (group 2).
• plain_Scan-group_1.csv — Plains zebra group scan (group 1).
• plain_Scan-group_2.csv — Plains zebra group scan (group 2).

Data Splits

The dataset ships as a single corpus. Create custom splits by video ID, individual ID, or survey date to control cross-view generalization (e.g., ground vs drone).

Dataset Creation

Curation Rationale

(i) Quantify strengths/weaknesses of ground- vs drone-based behavioural sampling; (ii) provide detection and coarse behaviour benchmarks in the wild.

Collection & Processing

Ground focal/scan samples by trained observers; DJI drone footage (~20 m AGL); CVAT for bounding boxes; custom scripts for ethogram coding; standardized CSV/XML exports. Field scan and focal sampling collected with AnimalBehaviourPro App.

Source Data Producers

Field teams at Mpala Research Centre, Laikipia (Kenya).

Bias • Risks • Limitations

• Class imbalance (Grevy’s zebras dominate) may bias detectors/behaviour models.
• Daytime-only footage limits generalization to low-light/night conditions.
• Coarse behaviour labels omit fine motor actions.
• Recommendations: Use stratified sampling or class weighting; evaluate with cross-view splits (ground vs drone).

Licensing

Compilation released under CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication). Individual media may retain original licenses noted in metadata.

Citation

@misc{kline2025kabr-tools-methodology,
  author    = {Jenna Kline and Maksim Kholiavchenko and Michelle Ramirez and Sam Stevens and
               Reshma Ramesh Babu and Namrata Banerji and Elizabeth Campolongo and Nina Van Tiel and Jackson Miliko and Isla Duporge and Neil Rosser and Tanya Berger-Wolf and Daniel Rubenstein},
  title     = {kabr-tools methodology comparison dataset},
  year      = {2025},
  url       = {https://github.com/Imageomics/kabr-tools},
  publisher = {Imageomics Institute}
}

Acknowledgements

Supported by the Imageomics Institute (NSF HDR Award #2118240). We thank the field experts at Mpala Research Centre for their support with data collection and logistics.

Contact

Questions or benchmark submissions? Open an issue on the GitHub repo: https://github.com/Imageomics/kabr-tools

Dataset Card Authors

[Jenna Kline]

Dataset Card Contact

[kline dot 377 at osu dot edu]