Towheeblog

Ornithologists are now collecting a wealth of details about our continent’s migratory birds.  If our species can muster the political will this knowledge will help in selection of habitats to protect, high-rises to turn dark, wind mills to turn off and numerous other issues that people seem to consistently fail to agree on.

Much of the latest data is coming from a fairly new source–Motus.  It uses nano-transmitters and a digital tracking system that senses and records in real time.  No more random banding and mist-netting, though the latter is needed ti attach the tiny transmitters to individual birds. So far the MOTUS network is concentrated east of the Mississippi.

For more info on the system click here.  “Motus” is Latin for movement.

Here is three year old map of the Motus system, but the west is still far behind in towers to collect data.

Now Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO), based in Ashland, Oregon, is hoping to work with the Partners in Flight Western Working Group and start building a parallel network along the Pacific Slope.  If anybody has ideas for funding (don’t expect help from federal agencies during the current regime), please contact KBO.