The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a global network of radio receivers that track small flying animals carrying tiny lightweight transmitters. As these animals fly within range of a station their unique signal is automatically recorded allowing researchers to track movements across continents without recapturing the animal. However, the rapid growth of the system has created new challenges and opportunities for improving data processing, interpretation and conservation relevance. With thousands of tags active simultaneously, and the sometimes-noisy radio environments of a human-dominated landscape, signals can sometimes overlap or be misidentified creating false detections or data gaps that could potentially hinder data quality making it difficult for wildlife managers to use the information confidently. This project addresses these challenges by demonstrating how enhanced data filtering and practical stakeholder-guided tools can unlock the conservation value of Motus tracking data. Focusing on 48 bird Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) with significant Motus tracking histories this Phase 1 effort will pursue two objectives. (1) Improving Data Quality. We will finalize and implement an updated tag detection algorithm tag-finder software that acts as a filter to sift through raw radio signals. This will reduce false detections, resolve conflicts where tags talk over one another, and produce clean trustworthy datasets for 48 priority species. (2) Create Usable Tools. We will launch a steering committee of state agency biologists to determine what Motus data products they need. Instead of generating abstract data we will co-develop decision-support tools that answer practical needs such as quantifying landscape and migratory connectivity, evaluating population health, prioritizing habitat or better understanding threats. The result will be cleaned Motus detection datasets for 48 bird SGCN and a set of prototype tools designed by and for state agencies. This lays the groundwork for standardized best practices mobilizing Motus as a reliable decision support system for conservation planning across species agencies and landscapes into the years to come.
From Detections to Decisions: Improving Motus Data Quality and Analytical Tools for Species of Greatest Conservation Need
Fiscal Year
2026
Organization
American Bird Conservancy
Grant Number
F26AP00176
Categories
Research, Tool Development
R3
No