Geolocator-equipped backpacks to track bird migrations

We've seen birds tasked with carrying around sensors in order to provide data about external happenings, but up until now, tracking birds' migration patterns from start to finish has been a tedious, if not impossible task. Gurus from York University in Toronto have apparently figured out the solution, and it all sounds much simpler than you might imagine. By equipping birds with minuscule "backpacks" -- which weigh less than a dime and use geolocators to collect all sorts of information about flight times, patterns, stopovers and speed -- scientists can get an accurate look at where the animals were and when they were there. In a recent test involving 34 birds, researchers were able to retrieve the packs from 7, and while that may not be a majority, biologist J. M. Stutchbury noted that this "was 7 more than anybody else." Right you are, Doc.

[Via New York Times, image courtesy of PaulNoll]

[WebOn Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:33AM]

Well you just missed the oportunity to continue with the f13th analogy pictures, you could have used this instead

http://www.channel4.com/film/media/images/Channel4/film/B/birds_xl_02--film-B.jpg

or this

http://chicagoist.com/attachments/chicagoist_rob/2007_10birds.jpg

[Phil P Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:35AM]

Look closer at the pic...

[fieldcar Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:36AM]

Agree'd, change it.

[fieldcar Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:36AM]

@Phil: heh... its looking at me! AH!!!

[superhobo Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:51AM]

How could you miss this?

[WebOn Posted Feb 13th 2009 11:26AM]

damn thats good, soory guys thats a good one

[finnschi Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:46AM]

Mindkiller...

[Hate Everything Posted Feb 13th 2009 10:49AM]

How could anyone miss that one? Too funny. It's like Geek's version of Where's Waldo.

[AMiSHPiRACY Posted Feb 13th 2009 11:02AM]

or you could just send Anna Paquin up in an ultra small aircraft to follow them.

[serialtoon Posted Feb 13th 2009 12:07PM]

I found the jason pic :-)

[PeterVenkman Posted Feb 13th 2009 12:10PM]

That Jason is hilarious

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 13th 2009 12:10PM]

this is so cool! Any ways that we can track migration more easily & safer for the birds is awesome. any information is better than no information. = )

[Powderfinger Posted Feb 13th 2009 12:44PM]

Now Wait a minute. What are we going to do when we find the remains of an old timey hockey mask in the engine of some plane that goes down somewhere? I'm sure radar can't track Jason.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 13th 2009 1:17PM]

I should think their airspeed velocity would be hampered to some degree.

[Aceyriot Posted Feb 13th 2009 1:57PM]

thats an ubly bird....kinda looks like a hockey mask