Motus Wildlife Tracking System
About Motus
When tracking wildlife with automated radio telemetry over vast distances, the challenge of deploying enough receivers to get detections grows exponentially. To remedy this, data can be shared between all researchers so that essentially everyone is sharing receivers. This greatly expands the potential for this technology, but it comes with the added responsibility of coordinating projects, detection data and metadata – that’s where Motus comes in.
What is Motus?
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an international collaborative network of researchers that use automated radio telemetry to simultaneously track hundreds of individuals of numerous species of birds, bats, and insects. The system enables a community of researchers, educators, organizations, and citizens to undertake impactful research and education on the ecology and conservation of migratory animals. When compared to other technologies, automated radio telemetry currently allows researchers to track the smallest animals possible, with high temporal and geographic precision, over great distances.
(Source: Motus.org)
Motus: Avon Lake Public Library
In 2024, Black River Audubon in partnership with Avon Lake Public Library and partially funded by a grant from the The Ohio Ornithology Society installed the first MOTUS tower in Lorain County.
We recorded our first bird, a white throated sparrow on May 15, 2024.
Importance of Motus
1. Conservation and Management: Migration data helps scientists and conservationists understand the routes birds take, the timing of their migrations, and the locations of critical stopover habitats. This information is essential for developing effective conservation strategies, such as protecting key habitats along migration routes that are essential for birds to rest and refuel.
2. Monitoring Biodiversity: Bird migration patterns serve as indicators of changes in biodiversity. Changes in migration patterns can signal alterations in habitat quality or availability, shifts in climate, and other ecological changes that may not be immediately apparent.
3. Climate Change Research: As climate change alters weather patterns and temperatures globally, migration patterns can provide valuable data on how wildlife is responding to these changes. This can help in predicting future impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem health.
4. Disease Tracking: Birds can be carriers of diseases that may affect both wildlife and humans. Monitoring migration helps track the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, providing crucial data for public health responses.
5. Public Awareness and Education: Migration data can be used to engage the public and increase awareness about bird species and their habitats. Events like birdwatching during peak migration times can foster a connection to nature and motivate individuals to support conservation efforts.
6. Scientific Research: Migration data supports a wide range of scientific research beyond conservation, including studies on animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and ecology. Understanding the complexities of migration can help scientists uncover broader ecological patterns and processes.