Hi Peter,
Yes, unfortunately the size of a Regent Honeyeater means it is still too small
to wear appropriate tracking equipment. The biggest Regent weighs around 45
grams, and according to ethics guidelines no species is to be fitted with a
transmitter (including harness or other affixing material) weighing more than
5% of its body weight - which for the heaviest Regent is 2.25 grams.
Unfortunately the smallest satellite tracking transmitter weighs 5 grams.
They can comfortably wear radio-transmitters, and we use these for tracking
birds post-release during our captive releases. They weigh about 1.9 grams when
fitted, but these have a range of 1km at most and need to be 'manually'
monitored by an observer. They also only last about 12 weeks before the
battery goes flat.
The other thing we've considered are geolocators like those used on Ruddy
Turnstones a few years ago by VWSG. But these need to be recaptured for
download (for Regents this would only be 1 in 10 banded birds which are
resighted, and this can take up to 10 years!), and they only have an accuracy
of +/- 100km from memory...which reduces their effectiveness. And there is no
'realtime' data streaming anyway.
Hope that explains it.
Cheers, Dean
How come we can track godwits across the ocean but we can't track honeyeaters
these relatively short distances? Are they too small to carry the necessary
equipment?
Peter Shute
Sent from my iPad
Dean Ingwersen | Woodland Bird and WA Program Manager
Regent Honeyeater recovery coordinator
BirdLife Australia
Suite 2-05, 60 Leicester Street, Carlton VIC 3053
M 0409 348 553 | T 03 9347 0757 ext 247 | F 03 9347 9323
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