Peggi & Ben Rodgers wrote:
>
> Thought this was interesting.
>
> Peggi "still buried knee deep in guano (grin)" Rodgers
> >
> > The most recent issue of GPS World (a trade journal for
> >commercial users of satellite navigation systems) has an
> >article on tracking and managing Harpy Eagles (Harpia
> >harpyja) in Venezuela using GPS (global positioning
> >system), a world-wide satellite navigation system which
> >can yield accurate latitude, longitude and altitude
> >anywhere in the world. The article is based on the Ph.D.
> >research of Venezuelan student Eduardo Alvarez-Cordero at
> >the University of Florida. His work was supported in part
> >by The Peregrine Fund.

I know of one satellite tracking project from three years ago, on a
gyrfalcon. A group studying peregrines far up north in sweden, in a
very remote place, took the opportunity to put a transmitter on a gyr.
At that time, they were still too large for a 'grine. In essence,
they got a tape with GPS information taken several times a day. The
paper they presented showed home range of this nesting female
calculated from the result.

And a year ago, a peregrine was tracked on its journey southward along
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. This was reported in the popular press.
The transmitters have gotten lighter, obviously. We've calculated that
they're now light enough to put on a female Cooper's hawk. They cost
$2,000 dollars, though, so aren't yet ready to replace free bands from
USF&W :)

--
- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
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