We are thrilled to announce that an automated radio-telemetry station is now established and operational at Antikythira Bird Observatory! This is the first station operating in the Balkan Peninsula and will allow us to track the birds stopover duration and then analyze gene expression patterns in their blood and learn much more about the stopover behavior of passerine birds that cross ecological barriers such as the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.
The station will soon be part of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, a collaborative global network of researchers that use radio tags to track the movements of thousands of birds. Although tracking of small birds can be particularly challenging, both technically and financially, advances in radio-tracking technology have made it possible for us to use Lifetags – transmitters weighing just half a gram (0.45g) -and therefore track even the smallest migrants!
Special thanks to Cellular Tracking Technologies for the cutting-edge technology, guidance, and support.
