New Methodology Provides Detailed Insight on Range, Movements of California Condor

First Posted: Jul 14, 2014 02:40 AM EDT
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For the first time, a team of researchers have developed a novel methodology to gain a detailed insight on the range and movements of terrestrial, aquatic and avian wildlife species.

In a collaborative study, researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research have developed a new technology that combines 3D and advanced range estimator technologies, which helps provide detailed data on range and movements of California condor. This was done by fixing GPS biotelemetry units to individual condor released into the wild.

"We have been calculating home ranges for the tracked condors in three dimensions for the first time using this GPS location data, and our novel density estimator was used to incorporate the vertical component of animal movements into projections of space-use," said James Sheppard, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate at the Institute for Conservation Research.

It is estimated that the current population of the California condor is approximately 400, a dramatic rise from just 22 in the mid-1980s. Several conservation efforts, made to reintroduce the birds to its former habitat in the mountains of California and Mexico, suffered certain setbacks. The researchers basically failed to understand the movement patterns of condor and its habitat use.

"This data will be used as a predictive management tool to inform conservation efforts to restore condor populations, particularly with regard to emerging threats such as climate change and wind energy impacts," added Sheppard.

In this study, with the help of expertise the researchers created highly detailed data sets and visualizations. They tracked three highly iconic, but threatened species that include California condors, giant pandas and dugongs - a large marine animal similar to the manatee.

"We were able to speed up their software by several orders of magnitude," said Robert Sinkovits, SDSC's director of the Scientific Applications Group. "In this case, calculations that had formerly taken four days to complete were finished in less than half an hour."

The California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) is the largest bird in North America that once dominated the western skies. But by the 20th century, there was a dramatic decline in their population. However, measures were taken to save it from extinction. It is known as nation's most magnificent birds as the wings of these birds span nine and half feet. The black bird feed of dead animal carcasses.

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