Putting beacons on birds is not novel. But a new antenna on the ISS and receptors on the Argos satellite, plus the shrinking size of tracking chips and batteries, are allowing scientists to remotely monitor songbird movements in much greater detail
TAKOMA PARK, Md. — A plump robin wearing a tiny metal backpack with an antenna hops around a suburban yard in Takoma Park, then plucks a cicada from the ground for a snack.
Putting beacons on birds is not novel. But a new antenna on the International Space Station and receptors on the Argos satellite, plus the shrinking size of tracking chips and batteries, are allowing scientists to remotely monitor songbird movements in much greater detail than ever before. A second new tag, for only the heaviest robins, includes an accelerometer to provide information about the bird’s movements; future versions may also measure humidity and barometric pressure. These Icarus tags work with a new antenna on the International Space Station.
An earlier study Williams worked on showed some robins are long-distance migrants — flying more than 2,780 miles between their breeding area in Alaska and winter grounds in Texas — while others hop around a single backyard most of the year. In a Silver Spring, Maryland, yard, Williams has unfurled nylon nets between tall aluminum poles. When a robin flies into the net, she delicately untangles the bird. Then she holds it in a “bander's grip" — with her forefinger and middle finger loosely on either side of the bird’s neck, and another two fingers around its body.
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