Antennas Up for Bats, Birds and More

By SAM HOLST

Tracking wildlife moving through Georgia is easier with 15 more Motus sites statewide.

Motus (Latin for "motion") uses automated radio telemetry to map the migrations of highly mobile animals such as birds, bats and butterflies. Because this system led by Birds Canada is a global collaboration, species can be tracked beyond state lines, national borders and even continents.

Georgia DNR's Wildlife Conservation Section and partners have used coastal Motus sites to explore where saltmarsh sparrows that winter in Georgia migrate to breed. But last year's venture with American Bird Conservancy to install or upgrade stations on 15 Georgia Forestry Commission fire towers from Midway to Piney Mountain - basically doubling the number of Motus stations in the state - is focused on hoary and silver-haired bats.

DNR's mammal team hopes this detection "fence" will shed light on the long-distance migration patterns of both species. Little is known about those journeys, especially in the Southeast. The data could help shape conservation decisions in areas the bats depend on during migration, whether they're flying through or spending the winter here.

So far, staff haven't been able to catch either species to attach the nano tags that each Motus receiver can pick up within a 10-mile radius. But while trapping efforts continue, the towers aren't idle. They're recording other tagged wildlife.

Nearly 40 species have been detected moving through Georgia, including eastern whip-poor-wills migrating from Ontario to Mexico and common nighthawks migrating from Montana to South America. As part of the Motus collaborative, that data supports a range of bird projects.

Learn more, including what species Georgia stations are documenting.

Wildlife biologist Sam Holst leads the Motus project for DNR's Wildlife Conservation Section.

Top: Hoary bat (Adobe Stock)