Tracking Ducks by Satellite - online maps

[Rob Roy <>]

Hi all,

I've been corresponding with Martin Asmus of Charles Sturt University. He tells me they are working on a project to track duck movements by satellite. The precis of the project is:

Waterfowl movements in agricultural and natural landscapes (2003-2006):
With Nick Klomp (Charles Sturt University) and Richard Kingsford (NSW National Parks and Wildlife)

Rice growers report 'good' and 'bad' years for waterfowl damage. Also, the severity of damage varies within the rice-growing region. Changes in the local abundance of ducks are a complex interaction of population processes operating at local, regional and broader scales. A key knowledge gap for mitigating the adverse effects of waterfowl is an understanding of the movements of waterfowl populations. Are the birds predominantly local or part of a broader population responding to events outside the rice-growing regions?

This project will analyse the movements of grey teal (Anas gracilis) fitted with satellite transmitters. These will be deployed on birds in the rice-growing regions and and central Australia. These data will be used to model risk of crop predation based on location and the response of teal to wetland distribution (including other rice bays) at local, regional and broader scales.

This project has been funded by the Game Bird Management Committee, RIRDC and the Australian Research Council.

To see where the ducks are now, go to http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/sciagr/sst/pers/droshier/birdmap.html

Regards,
Robert Roy
www.roblog.com/4images/
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