The attachment of tracking devices to raptors in the wild can be a very polarizing idea. So I thought it might be helpful to become more educated on the practice, its pros and cons, what the implications are for the raptor and what the expected and known benefits are. My hope is to become more informed so that I may make an educated decision as to whether I personally support the use of transmitters. As a starting point, I have included a link to the Raptor Resource Project bog post about transmitters and some often asked questions about them. Th post is about 18 months old and the technology continues to evolve, but I think its a good jumping off point. The changes in technology may also influence support for or against their use. I am hoping that (emotion aside) we can factually and accurately share the available information and offer our views.

http://raptorresource.blogspot.com/2012/...-decisions.html

That is a very interesting article, Hiker. The question of frequency or likeliness didn't seem to be addressed as a percentage of captures. It would be interesting to know how often a disabling or harmful situation arises.

I've just started reading and researching what information is out there about radio and satellite tracking and what long term research has yielded so far. This site has some good information you might want to read to get you started. It's undeniable that much has been learned already from tracking these birds regardless of how we feel about seeing these things attached to them.

http://www.werc.usgs.gov/ResearchTopicPage.aspx?id=16

I also ran into a guy named Jose Luis Ortiz who went a step further and attached a camera to his golden eagle. Click the video and watch full screen.


I'm venturing into the benefits to humans of tracking migratory birds. This research goes far beyond our curiosity just about where they go, how can we better preserve their habitats, etc.
http://www.werc.usgs.gov/ResearchTopicPage.aspx?id=17

Also, here's a couple of interesting sites about migration of animals and biotelemetry and it's value to humans.
http://icarusinitiative.org/sites/defaul...0Oct%202012.pdf
https://www.movebank.org/

Lots to consider before we pass judgement.

Happy Googling

Patti taught me something way back when "the goose" was getting nightly visits by a less than thrilled neighborhood raptor. People were sitting there watching in horror, wondering how any other creature would want to harm a single feather on the beloved goose's head. Not our Ms. Patticake98.

Ms. Patti decided to educate herself and the rest of us and proceeded to go where the information was. She went in search of the owl experts and drug them over to take a look see. The point of this trip back down memory lane is to remember that knowledge is powerful stuff and allows us to make better choices. Just like Dash is experimenting and working to find a way to make Rascal's life better, each of us has the opportunity to arm ourselves with knowledge so we can make better value judgments and decisions. I often wonder about the knowledge that came from years of observation without the tools and techniques we have today.

Thank you for that nice compliment Pop! I like to have all the ammunition I can get when I'm going into a war zone like the one you mentioned above with "the goose." That was a brutal war! I also like to root for the underdog and Barney was the poster child for that!

People strapping things to birds is as old as time almost. We've always found ways to use them to help us and we've gotten better and better at it. Here's some of the earliest examples I can find.

Pigeon with German miniature camera, probably taken during the First World War




Although war pigeons were deployed extensively during the Second World War, it is unclear to what extent, if any, birds were involved in aerial reconnaissance. The United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) later developed a battery-powered camera designed for espionage pigeon photography; details of its use remain classified.

The construction of sufficiently small and light cameras with a timer mechanism, and the training and handling of the birds to carry the necessary loads, presented major challenges, as did the limited control over the pigeons' position, orientation and speed when the photographs were being taken. In 2004, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) used miniature television cameras attached to falcons and goshawks to obtain live footage, and today some researchers, enthusiasts and artists similarly deploy crittercams with various species of animals.

Read More:
http://twistedsifter.com/2012/05/history...ra-photography/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigeon_photography

Every last one of us has a better life today because of animal research. Only birds/animals that are involved in some kind of research are tracked. What can we learn from tracking birds? We don't know yet. We haven't reached out destination. The past has sure been worth it though. Take a look.

Historically, what have been the tangible benefits of animal research?

The list of medical advances achieved through animal research is extensive. Here is a partial listing, courtesy of the Foundation for Biomedical Research, which indicates the specific advance, the year in which it was made, and the type(s) of animal involved:
Year Advance (type of animal)
1796 Vaccine for smallpox developed (Cow)
1881 Vaccine for anthrax developed (Sheep)
1885 Vaccine for rabies developed (Dog, Rabbit)
1902 Malarial life cycle discovered (Pigeon)*
1905 Pathogenesis of tuberculosis discovered (Cow, Sheep)*
1919 Mechanisms of immunity discovered (Guinea Pig, Horse, Rabbit)*
1921 Insulin discovered (Dog, Fish)*
1928 Pathogenesis of typhus discovered (Guinea Pig, Rat, Mouse)*
1929 Vitamins supporting nerve growth discovered (Chicken)*
1932 Function of neurons discovered (Cat, Dog)*
1933 Vaccine for tetanus developed (Horse)
1939 Anticoagulants developed (Cat)
1942 The Rh factor discovered (Monkey)
1943 Vitamin K discovered (Rat, Dog, Chick, Mouse)*
1945 Penicillin tested (Mouse)*
1954 Polio vaccine developed (Mouse, Monkey)*
1956 Open heart surgery and cardiac pacemakers developed (Dog)
1964 Regulation of cholesterol Discovered (Rat)*
1968 Rubella vaccine developed (Monkey)
1970 Lithium approved (Rat, Guinea Pig)
1973 Animal social and behavior patterns discovered (Bee, Fish, Bird)*
1975 Interaction between tumor viruses and genetic material discovered (Monkey, Horse, Chicken, Mouse)*
1982 Treatment for leprosy developed (Armadillo)
1984 Monoclonal antibodies developed (Mouse)*
1990 Organ transplantation techniques advanced (Dog, Sheep, Cow, Pig)*
1992 Laproscopic surgical techniques advanced (Pig)
1995 Gene transfer for cystic fibrosis developed (Mouse, Non-Human Primate)
1997 Prions discovered and characterized (Hamster, Mouse)*
1998 Nitric oxide as signaling molecule in cardiovascular system discovered (Rabbit)*
2000 Brain signal transduction discovered (Mouse, Rat, Sea Slug)*
2002 Mechanism of cell death discovered (Worm)*
2003 Non-invasive imaging methods (MRI) for medical diagnosis developed (Clam, Rat)*
* Denotes Nobel Prize winning work

For more on the need for biomedical research using animals, see www.amprogress.org and www.fbresearch.org.

This thread should probably be extended to the topic of animal tracking in general. Folks on the forum probably won't mind if I do that. Ever hear of a "brassy whimbrel?" Well, here is the story of Hope, the brassy whimbrel, and how she and a tiny transmitter have benefitted her species. Not to mention the determination of some dedicated bird biologists.

http://www.ccbbirds.org/2012/12/06/biolo...es-with-hope-2/

On the other end of the controversy, my ears perked up while watching the black eagle video that SCluv shared with us. I guess it is true that a mother eagle can be so threatened by a tiny leg band that she would break the leg of her young trying to remove it.

This issue tugs at my heart strings both ways.

Another argument against tracking: What ya don't know, don't grieve ya:

http://blogs.scottishwildlifetrust.org.u...sDoTW1.facebook

It's no secret how much I love CCB. And they are big on bald eagle tracking. In November, CCB was awarded a grant from the American Eagle Foundation to establish a National Bald Eagle Roost Registry. Here is some more info:

http://www.ccbbirds.org/2013/12/12/track...7b14a-419170149

Here's more info to weigh-in on animal tracking in general. Icarus, a dedicated wildlife radio receiver will be fitted to the International Space Station next year. Icarus will use the movement of wildlife, not only to help scientists and the species, but to sound an alert before volcanoes and earthquakes occur, giving humans a possible five additional hours to prepare!

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2...s-space-station

This post doesn't really fit under raptor tracking, but it's related. CCB has conducted a bald eagle survey for years. They count the number of nesting pairs and then later count the number of fledglings in the Chesapeake Bay area. Who better to inform the public of the impact of removing bald eagles from the endangered list? Here is the article:

http://www.ccbbirds.org/2014/03/22/uptic...ment-continues/

Here's another fascinating article written by my hero Dr. Bryan Watts. You can fly with him in the survey plane via the video in this article. And there's some interesting eagle facts here too.

http://buff.ly/1l4BZSr