Birds everywhere are facing multiple threats, with shrinking and degraded habitats chief among the pressures on declining bird populations. From breeding sites, along migratory routes, to wintering grounds, birds depend on a connected chain of healthy habitats to survive. Since 2014, a network known as the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (“Motus”) has helped researchers follow the movement of tagged birds in minute detail, deepening the understanding of which habitats are most useful for birds, in turn helping to focus efforts to address the precipitous decline of bird populations.
Latin for movement or motion, “Motus” uses a network of nearly 2,400 receiver
stations to track movements of birds, bats, and insects equipped with lightweight radio transmitters. Signals can be monitored as tagged wildlife move in proximity from one Motus station to another. Motus can help researchers study movement patterns and environmental interactions of tagged species,
acknowledging that actions in one location affect populations elsewhere. (Learn more at https://motus.org/)
Locally, habitats along the Gulf Coast serve as a critical “geographic bridge” for millions of migrating birds; additionally, our area hosts annual nesting sites of several species of shorebirds, including species of conservation concern like Black Skimmer and Least Tern. Despite the proliferation of stations to our west along the Mississippi and Alabama coast and to our east across Central and South Florida, Northwest Florida is a significant gap in a “digital fenceline” for tracking birds with Motus. Adding stations in our area would help capture data from species moving along the eastern edge of the Mississippi Flyway and western edge of the Atlantic Flyway. Location tracking can help scientists identify key habitats and migratory stopover points, potentially showing how human activities affect these birds. Whether following the migration path of a Swainson’s Thrush from Kentucky to Panama or the more local movements of Least Terns, scientists can gain a more complete picture of when, where,
and how long wildlife movements are taking place throughout our area. Filling in the gap of Motus Stations across the Florida Panhandle would provide critical data for regional conservation, while also contributing to a more detailed understanding of bird migration.
Motus station consists of four primary components:
- Computer / Radio receiver
- 4 Antennas
- Power source
- Mounting structure
These components work together to detect signals from small transmitters on birds, bats, and insects. Motus stations do not transmit signals or emit radiation; they simply “listen“ continuously for passing animals wearing a digitally coded tracking device. With a clear line of transmission, a station can detect tagged animals up to 20 km away. Installing a station typically costs $7,500, depending on whether existing structures, like communication towers or utility poles, are used.
Through a partnership with the American Bird Conservancy, FMWAS is working to install the first Motus wildlife tracking station in our chapter’s service area. We are actively exploring potential Motus host sites that will allow us to fill a critical data collection gap along the Florida Panhandle. Motus is transforming how migratory and breeding bird populations are monitored, translating precise movement data into actionable conservation strategies. By participating in this
essential, high-tech conservation effort, FMWAS can take pride in providing vital information about bird movements and habitat usage as we work to reverse the decline of bird populations.