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Bird tracking studies

Index of articles about bird tracking using satellite telemetry and other technologies such as geolocators.

Spanish Marbled Ducks tracked to Africa

This GPS-tracked Marbled Duck made a round-trip from Spain to Algeria and back in about 24 hours (Ecology Research Group at Miguel Hernandez University of Elche)

Movements of two satellite-tracked Marbled Ducks (Marmaronetta angustirostris) from Spain to North Africa. One of them, made a spectacular round-trip in 24 hours. As part of the ‘Marbled Duck reintroduction project’ in the Valencian Community (SE Spain), 21 birds were fitted with GPS-trackers and released into El Hondo Natural Park (Some birds are of wild …

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Satellite-tagged Pallid Harrier died in southern Morocco

The carcass of Selja the Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus), Guelmim region, Morocco (Ali Irizi)

A Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) named โ€˜Seljaโ€™ satellite-tracked from Finland died in southern Morocco last January. The cause of death is not electrocution as was feared initially. Selja was fitted with a satellite transmitter in central Finland in June 2018 as part of the research on Pallid Harrier carried out by Ari-Pekka Auvinen for the …

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Spanish Marbled Ducks migrate to Africa to escape huntersโ€™ guns

Three Marbled Ducks satellite-tracked from El Hondo, south-east Spain, are in central Algeria. These are the only surviving birds out of a total of 27 Marbled Ducks.

A total of 27 Marbled Ducks were satellite-tracked in south-east Spain, of these only three have survived by migrating to Algeria. Most of the birds that stayed locally were shot dead or are missing. The most threatened duck in Europe With a decreasing population, the Marbled Duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) is classed globally as โ€˜Vulnerableโ€™ in …

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Migratory connectivity of Fennoscandian Dotterels

Migratory connectivity of Eurasian Dotterels breeding in alpine Fennoscandia. The bird with geolocator in orange. All but two ring recoveries in winter are from North Africa: Morocco (1), Algeria (6) and Tunisia (1).

A Eurasian Dotterel equipped with a light-logger in Northern Finland spent almost half a year in the wintering areas in Libya. The Eurasian Dotterel (Eudromias morinellus) breeds in the arctic-alpine zone of Palearctic. Its wintering range is also sufficiently known: it winters in North Africa eastwards to the Middle East, with some birds reaching the …

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GPS tags cause corneal opacity in Northern Bald Ibis

Northern Bald Ibis โ€˜SHORTYโ€™ (ring number 028), Waldrappteam, LIFE Northern Bald Ibis.

Unilateral corneal opacity as a result of GPS tracking in a European Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita) population released in the context of a LIFE+ reintroduction project Fritz J., Eberhard B., Esterer C., Trobe D. & Scope A. Waldrappteam | LIFE Northern Bald Ibis | 6162 Mutters, AustriaCorresponding author: Johannes Fritz | jfritz@waldrapp.eu | www.waldrapp.eu …

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Cape Verde Shearwater in the Canary Islands and Morocco

Movements of a Cape Verde Shearwater caught and GPS-tracked in Montaรฑa Clara islet, off Lanzarote, Canary Islands (Data of the University of Barcelona's โ€˜Seabird Ecologyโ€™ group)

The Cape Verde Shearwater (Calonectris edwardsii), as its name may suggests, is an endemic breeder to Cape Verde islands, and winters mainly in South Atlantic off South America (Gonzรกlez-Solรญs et al. 2009). The species rarely ventures north of its breeding areas (or so we thought!). During the breading season, Cape Verde Shearwaters also frequently visit …

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Finnish Pallid Harrier wintered in Morocco in a rich, yet dangerous area

Selja the Pallid Harrier after her arrival to Finland, spring 2019 (photo by Ari-Pekka Auvinen via SuomenLuonto.fi)

A Pallid Harrier satellite-tracked in Finland spent the winter in the Guelmim region, southern Morocco. The area is very rich in preys but also very dangerous for raptors because of electrocution. This is the first proven wintering record of the species in Morocco. Westward expansion of the Pallid Harrier Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) breeds in …

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Spanish Imperial Eagle in Andalusia in 2018 & the first satellite-tagged bird in Morocco

Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti), fitted with a GPS transmitter and ready to fly, Bouznika, Morocco, 17 Dec. 2018.

With the expansion of the Spanish Imperial Eagle in Andalusia and the Iberian Peninsula in general, an increasing number of immature birds visit Morocco to winter. It’s in this context that an juvenile bird was found and tagged with a GPS transmitter for the first time in Africa. Status of the Spanish Imperial Eagle in …

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Two Egyptian Vultures released in Italy shot and poisoned during migration

โ€˜Biancaโ€™, a young Egyptian Vulture released in southern Italy, and found dead in Tunisia. Probably died because of secondary poisoning (Hichem Azafzaf / Association "Les Amis des Oiseaux" (AAO)).

Two captive-bred Egyptian Vultures (Neophron percnopterus) released in southern Italy last August died shortly after they started their migration. One bird shot dead by an illegal hunter in western Sicily, while the other died two days after it arrived to Tunisia, probably poisoned. The Egyptian Vulture in Italy: Egyptian Vulture numbers have decreased by more …

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French Montagu’s Harrier shot dead in Morocco

Busard cendrรฉ (Circus pygargus) suivi par balise GPS de la France retrouvรฉ mort au Maroc, probablement abattu par des braconniers, 26 aoรปt 2018 (Karim Rousselon).

Montagu’s Harrier satellite-tracked from France found dead in Morocco, most likely shot by hunters/poachers. Un Busard cendrรฉ suivi par balise GPS de la France est trouvรฉ mort au Maroc, trรจs probablement abattu par des braconniers (En franรงais au-dessous de la 2รจme photo). A Montagu’s Harrier satellite-tracked by the Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizรฉ and partners …

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