Wildlife Radio Tracking and GPS Telemetry

What wildlife radio tracking and GPS telemetry are

Radio tracking and GPS telemetry are wildlife survey techniques that allow precise monitoring of the movements, home ranges, flight routes and behaviour patterns of individuals fitted with tracking devices (VHF radio transmitters) or GPS receivers. This is a particularly valuable tool for studying raptors and large soaring birds in the context of wind and solar projects, where accurate knowledge of flight routes allows the project to be designed to minimise collision risk.

Main applications

• Flight route studies for raptors (golden eagle, griffon vulture, Egyptian vulture, red kite) around wind farms, to design turbine layouts that minimise collision risk.
• Delimitation of home ranges for species of conservation concern, providing objective data on real land use.
• Monitoring of juvenile dispersal in listed species, providing key information for conservation plans.
• Verification of the effectiveness of mitigation measures, such as changes in flight routes following the installation of a wind farm.
• Ecological connectivity studies, providing real wildlife movement data rather than relying solely on predictive models.

Methodology

1. Capture and tagging of individuals using methods authorised by the competent wildlife authority, with the corresponding capture and tagging permits.
2. Deployment of GPS or VHF devices, adapted to the size and biology of the target species.
3. Collection of location data throughout the monitoring period, with recording frequencies adjusted to the study's objective.
4. Spatial analysis of the data: home ranges, preferred flight routes, flight heights relevant to collision risk.
5. Integration of results into the Environmental Impact Study and into project design or mitigation measures.

Applicable regulatory framework

The capture and tagging of wild fauna, especially listed species, requires express authorisation from the competent regional biodiversity authority under Spanish natural heritage and biodiversity legislation, and must be carried out by qualified personnel with the specific training required.

Why choose Ideas Medioambientales

We carry out radio tracking and GPS telemetry studies of raptors and other species of conservation concern, with our own biologists authorised for wildlife capture and tagging, integrating the results into the optimal design of wind and solar projects.

Tell us about the target species and the aim of the study and we'll advise you on the most suitable tracking methodology.