Three Stations are up!
Currently, we have a station to the east of the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve which has great coverage of the wetland as well as the East Gallatin drainage and Story Mill Park. We have a station on the east side of the Turner Ranch which sits above the Gallatin River and should give us good data long the west and south sides of the Gallatin Valley. The third station is located at Missouri Headwaters State Park to cover the headwaters area.
A Huge Thank You!
To our members and supporters who funded this project, and to Give Big Gallatin Valley for driving this funding effort – thank you!
To Kevin Ellison, the Northern Great Plains Program Manager at American Bird Conservancy, this project literally would not have happened without his guidance and his Swiss-Army-knife expertise! He will also be doing the tagging. We are incredibly grateful to Kevin.
To Tim and Mary Barnhard who patiently listened to our request, and graciously allowed us to install a receiving station (that is perfectly situated to track birds on the IAWP) on their property.
To the staff at the Turner Ranches, especially Eric Leinonen, who enthusiastically supported this project and generously provided the fencing and labor to keep the wildlife away from our equipment.
To Alice Southworth at FWP for getting us set up smoothly at Missouri Headwaters State Park, and to John Kuntz at FWP for the view shed analyses and for the coordination with his massive contributions to the Motus System.
We are not done…
We have a 2 year tagging plan ready for the spring of 2026. Our plan is limited by budget and the ease of catching specific species. The nest box projects for Mountain Bluebirds and Kestrels should be efficient opportunities to tag two species that need research data. There is only so much time we can afford, but we are confident that we can tag other species of interest as well.
We also have had discussions with the Turner Ranches about putting an additional station on their property to provide better coverage of the Lower Madison. A fourth station will need additional funds to cover remaining parts and a cellular data plan.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is MOTUS: The Motus Wildlife Tracking System (www.motus.org) is an international collaboration that uses miniaturized radio transmitters to track birds, bats and even insects across Canada, The United States, Mexico and Central America to gain a better understanding of migrations and movements. This data also provides researchers with a better understanding of critical flyways and habitat so we can better protect migratory and nomadic populations.
Why is this needed? In recent decades over 3 billion birds have been lost due to a variety of circumstances. One third of North America’s bird species are now at risk of extinction. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology now categorizes certain bird species as threshold and tipping point species that need our immediate attention to prevent species loss. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System provides vital information to researchers to help us support the systems and habitats that birds need.
From a statewide perspective, there are 4 grassland birds that are endangered or critically endangered. The more data we can get on those population numbers and their behaviors, the better we can respond to their plight.
From a local perspective, the receiving stations in our area could provide incredible insight into the biodiversity maturation of the Indreland Audubon Wetland Preserve, the tagging efforts could dovetail nicely with our Bluebird and Kestrel programs, and hopefully all of this data can generate new papers and studies at Montana State University.
What is the role of SAS? Our role is to help fund and build-out our local/regional network. In the United States, the Motus System is a patchwork of privately and publicly funded projects pieced together by national and local partners. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MTFWP) has done a great job of getting this system going through out the state. With SAS funding the receiving stations in our area, it allows MFWP to erect receiving stations in other parts of the state that do not have the population/funding base to support this project. We also have funding available to tag birds in our area, which increases the likelihood of data collected on “our” birds, and the tagging dovetails nicely with our Kestrel, Bluebird and wetland projects.
What is the state-wide plan? A simplified explanation of the statewide strategy is to create a radio frequency “fence” with the receiving stations across the High-line to the north, and across the Yellowstone River corridor to the south and west to the Dillon area.
The American Bird Conservancy, a national partner in the Motus network, reached out to SAS to see if we would like to partner with them and MTFWP to help fill a gap in the southern fence from Paradise Valley over to the Jefferson River, as well as fund some tagging efforts.
How are the receiving stations powered? A 200 watt solar panel sits at the base of the receiving pole and that helps power a 12 volt marine grade battery.
Are the receiving stations permanent? No, they are not permanent and they are relatively mobile. The center pole is held in place with a center stake at the base and three rebar stakes that support the pole with three sets of guy wires. There is little to no disruption of the ground in the area, and they can be moved at moments notice.
What is the difference between tagging and banding? Banding is the traditional way of tracking birds that use coded bands to help provide point-to-point information in a bird’s life cycle. Tags are miniaturized radio transmitters that emit signals that are picked up by receiving stations. The technology of the tags has reached a point where they are small enough to be used on small birds and even insects. They have been used successfully on Monarch Butterflies and dragon flies.
What are the advantages of tagging versus banding? In short, more information, and more real-time information. Banding provides point-to-point information, while the tagging and tracking system can help fill in the movement information between nesting, staging and wintering areas. Tags and bands do not affect breeding or an other important functions of the bird. The tags also fall off the bird after about 9 months so they are not permanent additions.
Do the tags hurt of affect the birds? Tags have not affected bird copulation or nesting, flight patterns or distance. The tags are essentially little backpacks placed on the birds that wear out and fall off at approximately 9 months.