MOTUS automated telemetry
The University of Hull is proud to be the national coordinating academic body for the Motus system in the UK. Originating in Canada, the automated telemetry technology behind Motus has now expanded throughout North America, to Europe, and finally to us here in the UK.
Motus is all about cooperation, collaboration and networking. Arrays of static telemetry receivers can be located at key sites, and the pathways between them, to autonomously detect uniquely coded miniaturised radio tags ('NanoTags'). Tags weigh under 1g, so we can now explore the migration and other movement of species that were previously too small, such as one of the key focal species for the project, the Yellow-browed warbler (Phylloscopus inornatus). It also allows us to track the migration and breeding movements of vulnerable species on a national and international scale. Click here for key species and our interests.
Motus receiver installed at Spurn Bird Observatory, East Yorkshire. © Nick Whitehouse.
Click here to enlarge a map of the current Motus receivers (Red) and potential receivers (Orange).
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Click here to access an FAQ document to read and share about the Motus project
'Project Yellow-browed' is a national project, aiming to find out more about the migration and so-called 'reverse' migration of this tiny 7g warbler species, which breeds in Siberia. Late in 2019 we joined up with partners in Europe to begin tagging YBWs, with the first one tagged on Helgoland in Germany, in October.
If you as a group, or individual, are interested in joining the network of receivers, or are wondering how a Motus based project could answer your research questions, please get in touch with Dr Lucy Mitchell. A list of our current partners is below.
Information on Project YBW on the Motus receiver at Spurn BO. © Nick Whitehouse.
