Using GPS-GSM Telemetry to Study Condor Flight

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on

Condor populations recovering in California face numerous threats, including the development of wind-energy facilities within their range. To understand how condor flight behavior may expose them to risk from wind energy, USGS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Bureau of Land Management researchers are initiating a new study to track condor flight using high-frequency Global Positioning System-Global System for Mobile Communication (GPS-GSM) telemetry systems. Researchers will record movements of California condors to understand how their flight behavior, especially altitude, responds to variation in topography and weather. This information can be used to identify wind and topographic variables that may be preferentially used by condors and to predict risk to birds from existing and proposed turbines.

Sensor
Platform
Author Name
Todd Katzner
Author Email
tkatzner@usgs.gov