Remote Monitoring of Island Birds

This page is under construction, so new stuff will pop up as I get to it.

Echolocating Bird Research

Although most people have heard of echolocating dolphins and bats, many did not know that there are some species of cave-dwelling birds that use sound to navigate in the dark. These birds generally live in caves, and find their way though the dark by making clicking sounds.

My research is examining the echolocation clicks of cave swiftlets. I am also examining the temporal use of swiftlet nesting caves using acoustic recordings.

Cave swiftlet in Guam. Photo from Guam DAWR

Island Seabird Monitoring

Many of the seabirds in the world live on remote islands. These islands are often difficult to access and monitor.  Included among these islands are the Northwest Hawaiian Islands, home to thousands of seabirds.

Map from Wikimedia.

For those islands that are difficult to visit frequently, acoustic recorders offer one method for recording seabird presence.

Laysan albatross are one of the species whose calls
can be recorded remotely. Photo by Andrew Titmus.

Wedge-tailed shearwaters, which nest in rabbit-like burrows,
can be difficult to see.  However , we can record their calls easily!
Photo by Andrew Titmus