GPS telemetry for parrots: A case study with the Kea (<i>Nestor notabilis</i>)

Kennedy, Erin M.; Kemp, Joshua R.; Mosen, Corey; Perry, George L.; Dennis, Todd E.

doi:10.1642/auk-14-196.1

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Contemporary GPS data loggers with longer-lasting batteries would reduce the need to exchange the tag during tracking and provide data over a longer temporal period. Hallworth & Mara (2015) used miniaturized archival GPS technology (Pinpoint-10 archival GPS tag, Lotek Wireless) that weighed approximately 1 g to track small songbirds weighing < 20 g. Similarly, Kennedy et al (2015) used small, commercially available GPS loggers (20-channel receiver, Mobile Action Technology) with integrated data storage to characterize the movement patterns of free-ranging endangered parrots. As in our study, the loggers were removed from their original plastic housing and sealed to make them weatherproof (Kennedy et al 2015).…”

Section: Tag Development and Future Design Improvementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing low-cost tags: assessing the ecological impacts of tethered tag technology on host species

Senko¹,

Megill

Brooks

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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Understanding and mitigating potential effects of tags on instrumented animals is a crucial consideration when developing new tracking techniques. Some populations of aquatic megafauna spend the majority of their lives occupying small home ranges, yet conventional finescale tracking methods generally provide a limited number of non-continuous locations, while new technology is cost prohibitive. We developed a low-cost tethered telemetry system (<185 USD tag −1 ) for short-term tracking of marine turtles in nearshore environments that incorporated standard GPS data loggers and VHF transmitters into buoyant tags of 3 different designs. We then estimated the drag of each tethered tag using an instrumented flow tunnel, deployed them on freeliving green turtles along Mexico's Baja California peninsula, and compared movement patterns of turtles equipped with high-and low-drag tags. All tags provided high-resolution tracks that ranged from 5.2 to 184.0 h (mean ± SD = 43.2 ± 37.8 h; n = 26 turtles) for a total of 1122 h. We found that the first 2 tag designs increased drag on large juveniles at typical swimming speeds by approximately 7 to 10%, which is comparable to predicted drag increases incurred by similarly sized green turtles from most commercially available electronic tags. By contrast, the third tag design increased drag by 1% or less. Turtles fitted with the high-drag tags made fewer course changes and exhibited straighter (less tortuous) movements than those fitted with the low-drag tags. Although it is unclear if the observed behavioral differences were due entirely to the tags, our results highlight the importance of evaluating potential ecological impacts of telemetry devices on host species, particularly when developing new technology.

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Section: Tag Development and Future Design Improvementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing low-cost tags: assessing the ecological impacts of tethered tag technology on host species

Senko¹,

Megill

Brooks

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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“…A clipboard, digital timer, and lots of pencils can be used effectively to record behavior, but there are electronic systems to record behavioral data. For example, several newer recording technologies enable researchers to monitor movement of wild (Cagnacci, Boitani, Powell, & Boyce, 2010;Kennedy, Kemp, Mosen, Perry & Dennis, 2015), semi-free-ranging (Ákos, Beck, Nagy, Vicsek, & Kubinyi, 2014;Gerencsér, Vásárhelyi, Nagy, Vicsek, & Miklósi, 2013), and captive animals (de Chaumont et al, 2012;Khan, Herman, Wallen, & Balch, 2005) and to capture the behavior of animals via camera traps (Bezerra et al, 2014;De Moraes, Da Silva Souto, & Schiel, 2014).…”

Section: Recording Medium Data Loggers Automatic Identification and D...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Observational and experimental methods in comparative psychology.

Yasukawa¹,

Bonnie²

2017

APA Handbook of Comparative Psychology: Basic Concepts, Methods, Neural Substrate, and Behavior.

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“…While satellite telemetry is a potentially useful technology for enhancing conservation goals in Barba Azul, the task of tracking wild parrots across large areas and over many months is a formidable challenge. Few Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) units available today are able to resist the great intelligence, strong beaks, and flexible necks and tongues of most large parrots, and many species can easily remove attached transmitters in minutes [28]. However, species and individuals vary, and field researchers have therefore had some successes with a few larger species that have carried telemetry units for months and allowed useful data on landscape-level movements [28][29][30][31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Few Platform Transmitter Terminal (PTT) units available today are able to resist the great intelligence, strong beaks, and flexible necks and tongues of most large parrots, and many species can easily remove attached transmitters in minutes [28]. However, species and individuals vary, and field researchers have therefore had some successes with a few larger species that have carried telemetry units for months and allowed useful data on landscape-level movements [28][29][30][31]. Since no previous telemetry studies exist on the BTM, and it is smaller than macaws previously studied, we felt it vital to test potential tag models in a controlled environment prior to working with wild birds.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Satellite Telemetry of Blue-Throated Macaws in Barba Azul Nature Reserve (Beni, Bolivia) Reveals Likely Breeding Areas

Davenport

Boorsma²,

Carrara³

et al. 2021

Diversity

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The Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) is a Critically Endangered species endemic to the Llanos de Moxos ecosystem of Beni, Bolivia. To aid conservation of the northwestern population that utilizes the Barba Azul Nature Reserve during the non-breeding season, we set out to learn the sites where these birds breed using satellite telemetry. We describe preliminary tests conducted on captive birds (at Loro Parque Foundation, Tenerife, Spain) that resulted in choosing Geotrak Parrot Collars, a metal, battery-operated unit that provides data through the Argos satellite system. In September 2019, we tagged three birds in Barba Azul with Geotrak collars, and received migration data for two birds, until battery depletion in November and December 2019. Our two migrant birds were tracked leaving Barba Azul on the same date (27 September), but departed in divergent directions (approximately 90 degrees in separation). They settled in two sites approximately 50–100 km from Barba Azul. Some details of the work are restricted out of conservation concern as the species still faces poaching pressures. Knowing their likely breeding grounds, reserve managers conducted site visits to where the birds were tracked, resulting in the discovery of breeding birds, although no birds still carrying a transmitter were seen then. A single individual still carrying its collar was spotted 13 August 2021 at Barba Azul. The work suggests that the Blue-throated Macaws of Barba Azul use breeding sites that are scattered across the Llanos de Moxos region, although within the recognized boundaries of the northwestern subpopulation. We conclude that the use of satellite collars is a feasible option for research with the species and could provide further conservation insights.

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GPS telemetry for parrots: A case study with the Kea (Nestor notabilis)

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Developing low-cost tags: assessing the ecological impacts of tethered tag technology on host species

Developing low-cost tags: assessing the ecological impacts of tethered tag technology on host species

Observational and experimental methods in comparative psychology.

Satellite Telemetry of Blue-Throated Macaws in Barba Azul Nature Reserve (Beni, Bolivia) Reveals Likely Breeding Areas

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