- Reaction score
- 1,936
When scientists set out to track thick-billed parrots using tiny solar-powered "backpacks," they had no idea the research would reveal a need to ramp up conservation efforts for the endangered species.
As Mongabay reported, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists partnered with the Mexican conservation activists Organización Vida Silvestre (OVIS) to study the birds' migratory patterns and determine which habitats need better protection.
They outfitted 57 thick-billed parrots with lightweight sun-powered backpacks that contain transmitters to track the birds' movements, and the data has led to some surprising discoveries.
"It opened up a whole new world of good decision-making for us," Ernesto Enkerlin-Hoeflich, scientific director at OVIS, told Mongabay. "We were able to confirm, in some cases, areas that we were already trying to protect, but we were also able to detect additional areas."
www.yahoo.com
As Mongabay reported, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists partnered with the Mexican conservation activists Organización Vida Silvestre (OVIS) to study the birds' migratory patterns and determine which habitats need better protection.
They outfitted 57 thick-billed parrots with lightweight sun-powered backpacks that contain transmitters to track the birds' movements, and the data has led to some surprising discoveries.
"It opened up a whole new world of good decision-making for us," Ernesto Enkerlin-Hoeflich, scientific director at OVIS, told Mongabay. "We were able to confirm, in some cases, areas that we were already trying to protect, but we were also able to detect additional areas."
Scientists stunned by results from experiment strapping backpacks to endangered animals: 'It opened up a whole new world'
The team launched the research project in 2019 and collected more than 70,000 data points over four years.
