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Monitoring options for birds and bats

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There are a variety of factors to consider when choosing the best technology and equipment to monitor birds and bats. To ensure that you’re making the best choice for your study, we recommend that you speak with a Lotek representative.

Option 1: We'll call you.
Start by using our Project Profile form to send us the details of your study. Once you complete the form and click the Send button, a Lotek representative will contact you shortly to discuss your project and recommend the best system, based on the details that you've provided to us.
  
Option 2: You call us.
Start by reviewing the product descriptions on this web site, and then call us to confirm your choices and place your order. To better prepare you for that conversation, here is a brief overview of some of the main factors that will influence your choice:
What type of bird or bat study do you plan to conduct?

GPS positions:  GPS can be used to determine the precise areas used by birds. Small GPS tags are due for release this year.

Local movements:  Studies of local movements of small species are still best served by traditional VHF beeper tags, although if recording presence/absence (for example, nest feeding visits at a colony) then Coded VHF tags can help prevent missing events.

Migration routes:  To study migration routes of smaller species, Geolocators are better, whereas Coded VHF tags are best for recording birds passing through migration points or when using aircraft to look for birds.

Seabirds:  Alternatively, if studying seabirds, you may be interested in the depth and duration of dives and the temperature of the water. Our Temperature Depth Recorders collect data on just that, and can be combined with Geolocators to give both dive profiles and migratory movement.

Sensor Information: Obtain real time temperature, motion/mortality and activity data from beeper sensor transmitters or coded sensor transmitters.

Extended Tag Lives: Highly programmable tags transmit only when needed. For example 5 days a week / 8 hours per day on. Off 2 months. On again 24/7.

 

We partner with Biotrack Ltd in the UK, who have a strong reputation and over 25 years experience in making tags for birds and bats.  Please visit their Biotrack Tag Chooser page to see the Biotrack tags available. To purchase Biotrack equipment, if you are based in the Americas or Japan, please contact Lotek for more information. If you are based elsewhere, please contact Biotrack directly.

 

If you’d like a Lotek representative to help you choose the best system for your study, you can either use this Project Profile form to send us the details of your study, or simply contact us by email or telephone.  We look forward to hearing from you.