The study of bird migration by radar. Part 1: The technical basis

Abstract

Since the 1960s radar has been an established research tool in bird migration studies. Radar informs us about the actual course of migration under various environmental conditions: it covers wide distances, is independent of light and reasonably independent of weather, provides data on migratory intensity, flight paths and with special equipment the wing-beat pattern of birds. It thus fills an important gap left by other methods such as visual and auditory observations, laboratory research, trapping, and ringing studies. For an appropriate use of the sophisticated tool, however, it is important to know its capabilities and limitations.