What’s trending in conservation fashion? The latest in satellite backpacks for birds. Product specs: lightweight and tracks movement.
Scientists deployed backpacks with satellite transmitters on endangered thick-billed parrots (scientific name: Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) in Mexico. Thick-billed parrots are named for their large and sturdy beaks, which they use to break open pine cones and nut shells. To conserve these birds, the scientists wanted to understand where the parrots nest and where they migrate to. The specially designed lightweight packs help reduce stress to the birds.
Over four years, the satellite transmitters gathered more than 70,000 data points. This data helped make the case for classifying parts of a forest as a protected area in Mexico.
Mongabay’s Then vs. Now explains:
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Mongabay News: Satellite backpacks help keep track of parrot migration in Mexico
