Motus, from the Latin for “movement or motion,” inspires the mission, methods and means behind a collaborative international strategy for tracking and conserving small, flying, migratory animals, including birds, bats and large insects. 

Motus, the organization, operates under the auspices of Motus Central at Birds Canada, that country’s national bird conservation leader. Motus, the network, deploys thousands of technological tools to enable a community of researchers, educators, organizations and committed individuals to scientifically track, deliver and analyze data describing the movements of flying animals across North and South America and Europe. Motus is designed to: 

• Enable conservation through data that optimize decision-making
• Build community through a strong international network of shared values, rooted at the local level
• Pioneer science through a collaborative system that powers advancements in movement ecology
• Innovate technological integration through industry-leading standards that focus on getting the right data to the right users at the right time

How does Motus work?

Researchers attach small radio transmitters to individual birds, bats and insects in much the same way as they band birds for identification. A network of Motus stations established at strategic locations across each hemisphere tracks the animals’ movements. Typically, tags ping Motus stations within a radius of approximately 20 kilometers (just over 12 miles). 

Accurate tracking and data-gathering rely on a network comprising thousands of stations over extensive geographic areas. Currently: 

• 34 countries host 2,058 Motus receiver stations; 
• and, 2,712 Motus partners and collaborators have tagged 50,630 animals comprising 402 species and have initiated or completed 869 projects to date, generating 214 publications to drive conservation efforts.

Among those 2,058 receiver stations are two in the Omaha area — one on the grounds of Glacier Creek Preserve at 148th and State Streets in Bennington, and one at the Hitchcock Nature Center in Honey Creek, Iowa, which has received financial support from Audubon Society of Omaha. Looking ahead, new Motus tracking stations are in the works at Henry Doorly Zoo and Offutt Air Force Base. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is formulating plans for five additional Motus operations, while the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is targeting three more stations along the Missouri River. All of these focused conservation efforts harken back to the unique qualities of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System.

What makes Motus unique? 

First, the system’s lightweight tracking tools can be attached safely to research subjects. The telemetry is exceptional, allowing observers to track movement accurately over time and space. Establishing and operating a tracking infrastructure is affordable, which promotes equity among research participants. And, finally, individual contributions are magnified through a community of people working to achieve common objectives.

Why should you know about — and support — Motus?

Find out by upgrading your modus operandi and participating in Audubon Society of Omaha’s February 13 program, where you can hear about the discoveries this cutting-edge wildlife tracking system has already uncovered and learn how ASO’s own Glenn Pollock and Jerry Toll are working to enhance the promise of Motus technology in the Midlands. (Sources include: motus.org)