Motus Wildlife Tracking - Real-World Case Studies and Partnership Building

Abstract

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) is an international collaborative research network that uses coordinated automated radio telemetry to facilitate research and education on the ecology and conservation of migratory animals. The UM Bird Ecology Lab has deployed Motus tags on several species, including Swainson’s Thrushes, Gray Catbirds, Lazuli Buntings, and Pine Siskins. We plan to deploy tags on two grasslands species, Western Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow, this coming summer of 2022. We discuss the results and research directions of tracking wild birds using Motus, as well as the partnership-building opportunities that arise from working with migratory species.