A flexible GPS tracking system for studying bird behaviour at multiple scales

By Willem Bouten, Edwin W. Baaij, J. Shamoun‐Baranes, K. Camphuysen. Journal of Ornithology, 2012

355 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Tracking devices and bio-loggers provide crucial information on the ecology and behaviour of birds in their natural environment. An optimal tracking system should be lightweight, measure three-dimensional locations, enable flexible measurement schemes, transmit data remotely and measure environmental variables and biological parameters of the individual. Giving full consideration to the traits of birds and the constraints of technology, we have developed a GPS tracking system that attempts to achieve most of the aspirations of an optimal tracking system for free ranging birds without the need to recapture them. Here, we describe the design, performance and limitations of the system. We also present measurements on the tracked Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus to show how such a system can generate new opportunities for research at multiple scales. The GPS tracker weighs 12 g and includes a GPS receiver, micro-processor, 4 MB of memory for data storage, solar panel and battery. It has a tri-axial accelerometer to monitor behaviour. To maximize flexibility, it is equipped with a radio transceiver for bi-directional communication with a ground-based antenna network, which enables data to be downloaded and new measurement schemes to be uploaded remotely. The system facilitates a multi-scale approach to studying bird movement, from fine-scale movements (3-s measurement intervals) to long-distance migratory movements (intervals of 20–30 min) of the same individual. We anticipate that flexible tracking systems that enable researchers to optimize their measurement protocols will contribute to revolutionizing research on animal behaviour and ecology in the next decade.

Subfields: Developmental Biology, Ecology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/7aa1717cfe71daed5c719a51aeba1f260eaff82c

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Citations in the corpus

Comparing inferences of solar geolocation data against high-precision GPS data: annual movements of a double-tagged black-tailed godwit (2016, methodology): “UvA-BiTS GPS trackers provide a flexible, accurate, and relatively precise system with which to track the movements of migratory animals (Bouten et al. 2013).”
Spatial scales of marine conservation management for breeding seabirds (2018, background): “Because high-resolution GPS tracking devices have only recently become small enough to track small seabirds [81], our data are biased towards larger-bodied species, with many storm petrels, small auks, and diving petrels not yet represented in tracking databases.”
Individual specialization on fishery discards by lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) (2015, positive): “Individuals werethencolour-ringedandequippedwithan18gsolar-powered UvA-BiTS GPS logger (Bouten et al. , 2013), which was attached to the back of the bird with a Teﬂon ribbon three-strap backpack harness with one strap ﬁtting across each wing and one strap belowthecrop(Shamoun-Baranes etal.”
Regional and seasonal flight speeds of soaring migrants and the role of weather conditions at hourly and daily scales (2015, methodology): “Data were downloaded in the breeding area through a combined fixed- and mobile relay-antennae system (Bouten et al. 2013).”
A trial of three harness attachment methods and their suitability for long-term use on Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Great Skuas (2014, methodology): “Details of harness attachments Leg-loop harness A leg-loop harness was used to attach a GPS device of dimensions 62×31×13.5 mm (Bouten et al 2013; Figs 1 & 2) to three adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Orford Ness on 5 June 2010, and four Great Skuas on Foula between 21 and 23 June 2010.”
Sexually distinct foraging strategies in an omnivorous seabird (2015, methodology): “A total of 34 breeding adult gulls (18 males, 16 females; Online Resource 1) were tracked using UvA-BiTS GPS loggers (Bouten et al. 2013).”
A review of camera trapping for conservation behaviour research (2017, background): “…where focal animal(s) cannot easily be directly observed, the vast majority of fieldbased behavioural studies have used radio (VHF) or satellite (GPS) telemetry, activity sensors and/or biologgers (e.g. Lewis et al. 2002; Grignolio et al. 2004; Shamoun-Baranes et al. 2012; Bouten et al. 2013).”