Microchips attached to Dorset’s most mysterious birds are set to reveal the secrets of their winter travels.
So far no one has managed to discover exactly where the nightjars of Wareham Forest fly off to during the cold months. In fact, most people have never seen one of the illusive nocturnal birds that breed on the Forestry Commission estate each summer.
Now the ingenuity of technology is set to track exactly where the birds get to during their epic 10,000-mile round-trip migrations to Africa.
Brian Cresswell, of Wareham-based Biotrack Ltd has been working with wildlife rangers in the forest for many years. In the past they have used conventional radio tracking beacons that give operators a short-range fix on whatever creature they are attached to.
Brian said:
“Now we’ve developed a geo-location device that can record its position precisely, no matter where it goes around the globe. The pack is strapped to the nightjar’s back, using tiny Teflon tapes so smooth they will not cause rubbing on wing joints or plumage. At only three grams, it is so light the birds do not know it is there.”
The tracker uses an optical fibre through which it took light readings every few minutes. It fixes the location by measuring the day length and by recording the time of sunset.
The tracker’s microchips can store 100 days of data, which is downloaded when the nightjar brings it back to Britain.
Forestry Commission wildlife ranger, Mark Warn, explained that Wareham’s birds come back each year to breed in the same Dorset woods. Returning birds were captured using ultra-light ‘mist nets’, which are so light they do not cause any harm.
Mark added:
“Ten nightjars will be tagged this summer. What their trackers tell us next year will give us vital information on how best to conserve these rare birds.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
For information contact Libby Burke, Forestry Commission New Forest Communications Manager, on 023 8028 3141.