Donations will complete Iowa’s wildlife tracking system

Thanks to recent donations, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be able to complete its statewide wildlife tracking system within the next five years.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System includes receivers that automatically record signals from radio transmitters worn by tagged wildlife, using the data to track and study their movement and migrations. The network extends across 34 countries with more than 1,750 receiving stations, culminating in a public database with thousands of wildlife detections.

The Iowa DNR joined the Motus system in summer 2021, thanks to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant that funded equipment for 40 stations in the Midwest and a dozen in Central and South America. To date, there are 18 stations operating in Iowa — nine by the Iowa DNR, and nine by its partners. They track tagged birds, bats and insects as they migrate through the state.

A total of $120,000 in recent donations will allow the Iowa DNR to complete its constellation of Motus receivers.

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Diane Crookham-Johnson and Musco Sports Lighting — both from Oskaloosa — each donated $60,000 in August to match federal grants and purchase supplies in support of Iowa’s Motus system.

Crookham-Johnson, an avid bird watcher who has spotted more than 200 species in the past six years, told the Iowa DNR she values the data collection system as a window into learning more about wildlife — especially in the classroom.

“Birds are everywhere, they’re easy to see and relatable — I’m hoping to get (students) interested,” said Crookham-Johnson, who volunteers at her local elementary school, in an Iowa DNR news release. “Whatever we can do to get kids excited about nature, is good for earth and good for mental health.”

The funding will allow the Iowa DNR to build 20 more stations, completing coverage along the east-west middle of the state and complementing stations along its border rivers. Stations cost about $4,000 each and should last for 10 years.

Iowa Motus stations have recorded at least 66 detections of 57 individuals from 17 bird species since 2021, according to the Iowa DNR’s 2022 annual report of the network. Some birds had been tagged as far away as Colombia and Costa Rica.

A receiver placed in the Hawkeye Wildlife Management Area in Johnson County has detected 45 animals across 12 species since it was first installed in November 2021.

Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; brittney.miller@thegazette.com