Caribbean Motus Collaboration

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a powerful collaborative research network. Motus (Latin for movement, or motion) uses automated radio telemetry to monitor the movements of small animals. The Motus system consists of hundreds of receiver stations and tens of thousands of deployed nanotags. Data from this network have already expanded our understanding of bird migration. We are only just beginning to tap into its enormous potential.

Motus-Receiver-station-map-Caribbean — Yellow dots represent the active Motus receiver station in early 2021 (motus.org/data/receiversMap). The white box outlines the insular Caribbean.

Motus is widely established in Canada and the US, and beginning to spread throughout Central and South America. However, when BirdsCaribbean launched the Caribbean Motus Collaboration (CMC) in 2021, there were no active Motus receiver stations in the Caribbean. We want to fill this critical geographical gap.

The CMC is a bird monitoring initiative that aims to expand the Motus network in the insular Caribbean by installing and maintaining receiver stations in strategic locations throughout the islands, deploying nanotags on priority bird species, and developing educational materials.

Data from the Motus network can provide information that is critical to the conservation of resident and migratory birds in the region. The CMC will increase the capacity of the Motus network for monitoring all groups of birds, and will encompass areas of the Caribbean that are priority sites for both migrating, wintering, and resident birds. Caribbean natural resource managers, including our many partner organizations throughout the region, will be able to use information from the Motus network to identify the most important sites and habitats for our resident and migratory birds. Building the capacity to use this powerful tool will also contribute to the development of local research and environmental education programs. The knowledge, skills, and appreciation for birds will multiply. It’s a “win-win” for the birds, and for those who work to conserve them in the region.

CMC MOTUS STATION INSTALLATIONS AND NEWS

Two New Motus Stations in Puerto Rico Jumpstart Our Caribbean Motus Collaboration Program

A New Adventure for a Motus Tracking Trainee: An Eventful Journey and a Climbing Lesson in Barbados

Learn about BirdsCaribbean’s other Landbird Monitoring initiatives here.