MPI-AB’s novel technology allows us to understand crucial aspects of animal behavior and ecology, such as breeding performance, connectivity, dispersal, and mortality on an individual level within representative species groups. Traditionally, tracking such small animals has been challenging due to the limitations in size, weight, data retrieval, and cost of tracking devices. However, with the advent of IoT, mainly through the European Sigfox IoT network, we can now deploy lightweight, cost-effective tracking tags that weigh between 1 and 3 grams. These tags are designed to measure parameters such as energy expenditure (VeDBA), temperature, barometric pressure, light level, location (with a median accuracy of 12.89 km [MAD 5.17]), and mortality (inferred from VeDBA) over long periods (months to years).
The IoT technology behind these tracking devices is rooted in advancements originally developed for commercial and industrial purposes, such as tracking delivery items or monitoring environmental conditions in real-time. TMPI-AB, however, has adapted these technologies to answer similar questions about wildlife, focusing on the position, movement, surrounding environment, welfare, and dynamics of free-roaming animals instead of commodities. The Sigfox network, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN), is particularly well-suited for this application because it provides ultra-long-range transmissions (up to 280 km) to a dense network of terrestrial base stations, with good coverage across most of western Europe. This communication infrastructure enables the wireless transmission of onboard-processed (edge-computed) sensor data from the tagged animals to Movebank, allowing us to continuously monitor behavior in real-time.
In our project, we will be using three transmitter models:
ICARUS-NanoFox – for common swifts
ICARUS-TinyFoxTwo – for common blackbirds, song thrushes, and European starlings
ICARUS-TinyFoxSolar – for European kestrels
Below, you will find detailed information about these models. On the Tagging Methods page, you will find recommendations from our experts on tagging methods for these transmitters and species.
