Conservation

Bird Tracking Station Installed at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

New station joins a growing network of Motus tracking stations around the world.

Staff at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary recently installed a Motus Wildlife Tracking System station as part of Audubon’s Migratory Bird Initiative. Located in the Sanctuary backcountry, the antenna picks up radio signals emitted from birds outfitted with tracking devices if their flight path takes them within seven miles of the tower.

The station joins a growing network of 16 stations in the Audubon network and countless others around the world. The data collected by the antenna is uploaded to a database where researchers who use nanotags or other tracking technology can see the exact date and time when the tagged bird was in the vicinity of a tower.

By monitoring details about the timing and duration of migratory flights for individual birds of many species, scientists can better understand the timing and seasonal duration of migration. The data also informs land managers about birds’ seasonal habitat preferences, helping our staff learn more about the role the Sanctuary plays as a stopover point or passage for migratory birds while filling knowledge gaps across the broader science community.

Thank you to the staff who made this installation happen! Shawn Clem, Gio D'Achiardi, and Bill DeLuca, Migration Biologist with NAS, started off with a robust conversation on where to place the tower.

Gio, Pete Stelzer, and Randy Shaffer installed the physical tower in the backcountry. The Audubon Florida board saw the site as part of a field trip for their May meeting. 

This was a real team effort with National Audubon Society and the Sanctuary facilities and research staff.

See all stations in this network.

Learn more about this international program.

Related

Birds Tell Us About Migration
News

Birds Tell Us About Migration

The new tracking station at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is contributing to a nationwide network.

Read more

Using Technology to Understand Habitat Connections
Conservation

Using Technology to Understand Habitat Connections

An American Redstart tagged in Jamaica finds stopover habitat at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary during spring migration.

Read more

Migrating Red Knot Recorded by Motus Station at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
Conservation

Migrating Red Knot Recorded by Motus Station at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

The shorebird was detected by a station at Hudson Bay in Manitoba, Canada, in July.

Read more

Tagged Lesser Yellowlegs Recorded at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary During Migration
Conservation

Tagged Lesser Yellowlegs Recorded at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary During Migration

Wetland habitats in South Florida serve as important refueling stations for birds migrating from the boreal forest to South America each fall.

Read more

How you can help, right now