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Monday, February 17, 2025

Tiny Trackers on Hummingbirds Set to Shape Conservation in the Andes

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In an impressive leap forward for wildlife conservation, scientists from the University of Aberdeen have fitted hummingbirds in Colombia’s Andes with miniature “backpack” trackers to study their movement patterns and better protect these tiny but vital pollinators.

This breakthrough, a collaboration involving the Chingaza National Park in Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Queen’s University Belfast, and the University of Washington, could transform land-use decisions in the region and help prevent species extinction by gathering critical data on hummingbird migration and behaviour.

Historically, studying the movement of small birds like hummingbirds has been near impossible, but researchers have managed to set up a highly sophisticated automated radio telemetry grid at an altitude of 3,300 meters in Colombia’s Andes, enabling them to capture detailed and continuous movement data.

Thanks to this technology, scientists are now generating millions of location data points, painting an intricate picture of species’ habitats, seasonal migration patterns, and daily foraging routes, which are essential for devising conservation strategies and managing landscapes to avert local extinctions.

Cristina Rueda Uribe, a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, expressed her excitement about this pioneering system, which has opened new doors for understanding the ecology of hummingbirds and other small animals native to the Andes’ high-altitude ecosystems.

The lightweight transmitters, only 0.35 grams each, are harnessed to the birds’ backs in a way that mimics a small backpack, complete with a solar panel to power the device, allowing it to transmit data for the birds’ lifetimes whenever the sun is shining.

With this technology, researchers have already gained valuable insights into the birds’ foraging patterns, home ranges, and seasonal habits, helping deepen understanding of the biodiversity that sustains high-altitude tropical ecosystems in the face of climate and land-use changes.

The project also stands out as the first of its kind to employ automated radio tracking in these challenging mountainous landscapes, marking a triumph for an international team of scientists, designers, drone pilots, park rangers, and ornithologists who have worked tirelessly to make it a reality.

According to Uribe, the project’s success has also inspired local authorities to incorporate technology-driven conservation strategies, while sparking interest in adapting similar techniques to study species in other parts of the world, including the Amazon lowland forests.

This groundbreaking research, published in Ecology & Evolution, is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and technology in protecting vulnerable ecosystems.

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