Whidbey Audubon Joins the Motus Program Tracking Tagged Birds and Other Flying Animals

By Doug Fortner

One of many types of Motus tracking towers.

Whidbey Audubon Society has applied for permission from Island County to install an antenna at Camp Casey to join the Motus program tracking tagged birds and other flying animals. 

What is Motus?

From Motus.org

“Motus is a diverse, networked community of researchers, practitioners, companies, organizations and people working cooperatively towards shared science and conservation objectives.”

“The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (hereafter Motus: Latin for movement or motion) is a collaborative global network using automated radio telemetry to track small flying organisms (birds, bats, and insects)… Motus uses digitally-coded radio tags that emit signals on a single frequency, detectable at ranges of up to 20km by an open-source network of receiving stations.”

The Motus.org website allows anyone to track tagged animals, and is well worth a visit. Other than the costs of the equipment, there is no cost to Whidbey Audubon. A small team of volunteers will install and maintain the antenna. 

Benefits to Whidbey Audubon

Currently, there are no Motus antennas on Whidbey Island. The antenna will be able to detect tagged birds that use Crockett Lake and Admiralty Inlet as they migrate through Island County. The information gained will allow scientists and researchers further insight into migratory patterns and may provide the basis for future local conservation efforts. 

Next Steps

The County will process Whidbey Audubon’s application for a Certificate of Appropriateness to allow installation of the antenna in the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. Once approved, the antenna will be installed and tested. Updates on the project’s progress will be included in future issues of Shorelines. 

Many thanks to the YMCA of Snohomish County for their support to base this project on their grounds at Camp Casey.