The tiny backpack you see on this American Oystercatcher “N94” is a solar-powered GPS/GSM transmitter. Due to this know-how, utilized by a educated biologist, we have been capable of finding N94 after she went off grid for 3 months. The transmitters additionally assist researchers determine necessary habitat, perceive migration patterns, and coordinate conservation efforts with companions throughout the hemisphere.
N94 was one in all 5 unique birds in Connecticut to be fitted with a GPS/GSM transmitter. Final yr, she nested at Sandy Level seaside in West Haven. On the finish of the summer time, she staged for migration at Milford Level, and we tracked her coordinates to the marshes simply north of Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey. Then… silence. After three lengthy months she pinged once more in Virginia.
Originally of the 2026 nesting season, she traveled northbound again to Sandy Level the place she rejoined her mate, N95. The pair spent the spring incubating their eggs and efficiently fledged two chicks.
Discipline workers member Becca Mulligan monitored N94 and N95 all through the summer time and noticed that “they gave the impression to be probably the most vigilant pair at Sandy Level and would run the chicks again into the vegetation effectively earlier than anybody received shut. I additionally observed that one chick would grasp round N95 and trouble him on a regular basis, chirping and chasing him even after fledging.”
When birds really feel confused, they show behaviors of vigilance like scanning the seaside for threats and transferring their chicks away from perceived threats. Even a peaceful beachgoer strolling too shut can result in this conduct.
Fortunately, this American Oystercatcher household made it safely by the season. In late July, workers noticed N94, N95, and their fledglings combined in with a bigger group of oystercatchers that have been “staging” on the sandspit earlier than starting their southbound migration.
The most recent pings exhibits N94 within the marshes simply north of Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey.
Due to GPS/GSM backpacks, researchers are studying extra about the place American Oystercatchers breed and overwinter. As you’ll be able to see from this map, N94 nested at Sandy Level seaside in West Haven. Her actions mirror the territorial nature of American Oystercatchers – she caught near her nesting website and solely left to go forage.
A unique fowl, N93, didn’t mate or nest this season, and his map exhibits a variety of actions.
The info exhibits {that a} non-breeding fowl will use a considerably bigger space when they don’t seem to be defending their territory and elevating younger.
N93 was nonetheless staging for migration at Milford Level as of late September. Final yr, he spent the non-breeding season on the west coast of Florida, and we’re desirous to see if he does so once more.
N94’s journey is only one instance of what monitoring know-how can reveal. Every new location ping helps researchers higher perceive how American Oystercatchers use habitat all year long, info that’s important for shielding the seashores, marshes, and coastlines these birds rely upon throughout the hemisphere.
