{"id":49115,"date":"2023-11-01T02:10:50","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T08:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/ibo\/?p=49115"},"modified":"2026-06-04T19:28:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T01:28:32","slug":"motus-network-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/ibo\/2023\/11\/01\/motus-network-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tipping Point for Motus in the West?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jeremy Halka, IBO Research Biologist<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year proved to be another exciting one for the Motus Wildlife Tracking System<\/a> network in the West as IBO continues to partner with MPG Ranch<\/a>. This partnership has led to the expansion and ability to maintain the network in Idaho and numerous other organizations\/agencies continue their expansions in other states and countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
Newly installed Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge Motus station. Photo by Jeremy Halka.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our hopes and dreams of creating a sort of \u201cdomino effect\u201d in the Intermountain West are turning into reality!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are seeing our initial \u201cweb\u201d of station installations in the southern part Idaho beginning to generate a lot of interest among different agencies in the region. Two new tagging projects have begun in the state involving monarch butterflies and bats by Idaho Department of Fish and Game<\/a> (check out page 8 of this Windows to Wildlife Newsletter<\/a> for more info<\/em>) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service<\/a> with lots of tag deployments this year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
By affixing a small nanotag to monarch butterflies, biologists with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will learn more about their migration timing and routes as well as what habitats are crucial for roosting. Photo Credit: Idaho Department of Fish and Game<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In conjunction with those tagging projects, IBO assisted with the installation of two new Motus stations for Idaho Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at Curlew National Grassland<\/a> and Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge<\/a>. Adjacent states (and countries) are seeing significant increases in Motus stations and tag deployments as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the network expands, so does the amazing potential to unlock new knowledge of the movements of many kinds of wildlife!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the overall amount of tag detections at our Idaho stations currently remains low, I have been tickled pink by the proportion of deployed tags that we pick up from projects in other states and even other countries like Canada and Mexico. Very often when researchers tag birds or bats that utilize flyways over Idaho, our stations pick them up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Map
Motus station locations in Idaho as of 2023. Map Image: Arc Map GIS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For example, this year we have picked up a handful of tag detections for Willow Flycatchers<\/a> and Northern Saw-whet Owls <\/a>that were tagged in Canada over the summer and fall \u2014 which I have highlighted below. As the number of stations and the number of tag deployments increase, I fully expect to see the number of detections increase significantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now for some super cool 2023 tag detection highlights!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Willets are ground-nesting shorebirds that utilize a \u201cbroken-wing\u201d display to lure predators away from their eggs. Along with using their keen eyesight to locate aquatic invertebrates, they also have a specialized bill with a sensitive tip allowing them to forage day or night. Loss of habitat has landed this species on the \u201cState of the Birds\u201d Watch list. Photo Credit: Mary Long<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Willet<\/a> that was tagged in Mexico over the winter took flight at the end of April and followed the eastern flank of the Rockies up through Canada. Then when it migrated back south in the fall, it followed a different flightpath on the western side of the Rockies and was picked up by 4 of our stations in Idaho and 2 in northern Utah all on the same day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
The northbound and southbound tracks of a migrating Willet. The Willet was tagged in Mexico, then migrated north to Saskatchewan along the eastern edge of the Rockies. After the breeding season, the bird headed south and was picked up by Motus towers west of the Rockies. (7\/15; Birds Canada 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Within a few days it was back in Mexico, eventually being detected back in the same spot it was originally tagged!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This year we detected a handful of Northern Saw-whet Owls, including a few that were tagged way up in Alberta, Canada near Edmonton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
Northern Saw-whet Owl migration is not well understood due to their reclusive nature. Weighing roughly that of a small apple (~75-100 grams), these forest owls are mostly nocturnal and prey upon small mammals, birds and insects. Photo Credit: Ceredig Roberts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A Northern Saw-whet Owl tagged on 9\/28 at Beaverhill Bird Observatory<\/a> in Alberta, Canada<\/a> was detected at a station in southern British Columbia, Canada<\/a>, about 2 weeks later and then again at one of our CJ Strike Wildlife Management Area<\/a> (WMA) stations another 2.5 weeks after that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Migratory route of a Northern Saw-whet Owl from where it was tagged in Alberta, Canada in 2023. This owl traveled roughly 740 miles in appoximately 4 weeks and was detected by 2 separate Motus stations along its southbound journey- the first in southern British Columbia, Canada and the second at the CJ Strike WMA headquarters, Idaho. (Birds Canada, 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Our first Willow Flycatcher detection was from a bird that was tagged on 6\/5 at Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory<\/a> up in Okanagan, British Columbia<\/a>. It appeared to have left its summer breeding grounds on 8\/4 to be detected a few days later at our CJ Strike WMA headquarters station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a
Willow Flycatchers can be found across the US and overwinter in Central and South America. Their “fitz-bew” call can be heard from the tops of willow and shrubs near water, especially May through June as they arrive back on their breeding grounds. Unlike most songbirds, Willow Flycatchers are hatched already knowing their call and do not learn the patterns from their parents. Photo Credit: Ceredig Roberts<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Then it was detected again 13 days later all the way down on the coast of western Mexico!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A
Motus detections of a Willow Flycatcher tagged in British Columbia, Canada. This tiny songbird traveled southbound approximately 2,000 miles in only 18 days before being picked up at a Motus station on the coast of western Mexico! (Birds Canada 2023)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Installing Motus stations over the last few years now has definitely been an exercise in \u201cdelayed gratification\u201d for me \u2014 putting in a ton of very hard work upfront and now finally starting to see the true benefits of it all. I\u2019ll admit there were some points where I questioned if it was all going to be worth it, but now I\u2019m feeling pretty heckin\u2019 good about it. There\u2019s one thing for certain, Motus is RED HOT right now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We would like to thank MPG Ranch for the continued Motus support and all the folks hosting stations in Idaho!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motus Data and Maps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Motus Wildlife Tracking System. 2023. Birds Canada, Port Rowan, Ontario. Available: https:\/\/motus.org. Accessed: [11-15-23].<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to keep tabs on the latest exciting detections? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This cool migratory movement data is available to everyone! <\/em>Check out motus.org<\/a> to learn more about the network and to look at detections and receiver locations!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is part of our 2023 end of the year newsletter! View the full newsletter here<\/a>, or click \u201colder posts\u201d below to read the next article.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure you don\u2019t miss out on IBO news! Sign up to get our email updates.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This year proved to be another exciting one for the Motus Wildlife Tracking System network in the West as IBO continues to partner with MPG Ranch. Our hopes and dreams of creating a sort of \u201cdomino effect\u201d in the Intermountain West are turning into reality!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1689,"featured_media":49327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2888,2890,2885,373,267],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2023-newsletter","category-archive","category-motus-network","category-research","category-surveys"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Tipping Point for Motus in the West? - Intermountain Bird Observatory<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the expanding network of Motus stations tracking wildlife movement in the West, including monarch butterflies and bats,\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boisestate.edu\/ibo\/2023\/11\/01\/motus-network-2023\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Tipping Point for Motus in the West?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This year proved to be another exciting one for the Motus Wildlife Tracking System network in the West as IBO continues to partner with MPG Ranch. 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