Information for Researchers
Understand how Motus may fit your research and conservation needs.
Credit:Matt Webb
Motus fills a critical gap in tracking technologies
Motus is built on a collaborative automated radio telemetry network. This framework provides the unique ability to simultaneously track large numbers of small, flying animals, including birds, bats, and large insects at multiple spatial scales. With a sufficient receiver network in areas of interest, Motus can provide high temporal and geographic precision, over multiple spatial scales, from local to inter-continental.
Animals are fitted with uniquely coded small radio transmitters, which can be detected by strategically placed stations up to 20 km away when in flight under optimal conditions. Detection data are stored on the receiving stations, not the transmitters, removing the need to recapture animals. This enables efficient monitoring of diverse species regardless of site fidelity or survival. Data can be uploaded automatically to the centralized Motus database via the internet or cellular networks, eliminating manual downloads.
For more details, explore the applications or refer to Taylor et al. (2017) for a comprehensive introduction.
The collaborative nature of Motus enhances the scope of everyone’s research
Motus is an altruistic feedback loop fueled by and driving collaboration. It is a vibrant, and highly committed community of organizations and individuals working together toward shared goals. Collaboration is the backbone of Motus, enabling the pooling of resources, expertise, and ideas to support research, conservation, and education. By fostering partnerships and aligning efforts, Motus drives innovation and amplifies the impact of everyone’s work.
Motus is a powerful conservation tool
Motus complements a suite of other research and monitoring tools to advance research on and conservation for birds, bats, and large insects.
Motus supports a variety of equipment and configuration options
Motus stations can be configured to match specific research needs, available resources, landscapes and existing infrastructure.
Motus technology partners (Lotek and Cellular Tracking Technologies) offer a variety of options for configuring tags and receivers.
