Orientation in birds. Satellite tracking: a new method in orientation research.

Abstract

The study of bird migration by satellite tracking began in the 1980s, after transmitters had become sufficiently small to allow the monitoring of larger migrating species. The initial studies in this direction were all successful with respect to establishing this method (Section 2) of elucidating new migration patterns and various aspects of orientation. These pilot studies are summarized in Section 3, Table 1, Figures 1-4. We believe that studies on avian orientation and navigation will, in general, greatly benefit from satellite tracking if some prerequisites are fulfilled and adequate experiments planned (Section 4). In future studies, smaller transmitters with increased life expectancies are needed, and possible effects of these transmitters on bird behaviour must be examined. Considerable improvement of satellite tracking in avian orientation research is to be expected, along with the development of a new generation of satellites allowing communication between satellites and transmitters (Sections 4, 5).