Activity and migratory flights of individual free-flying songbirds throughout the annual cycle: method and first case study

We describe a method and device (< 1.2 g) for recording, processing and storing data about activity and location of individuals of free-living songbirds throughout the annual cycle. Activity level was determined every five minutes from five 100 ms samples of accelerometer data with 5 s between the sampling events. Activity levels were stored on an hourly basis throughout the annual cycle, allowing periods of resting/sleep, continuous flight and intermediate activity (foraging, breeding) to be distinguished. Measurements from a light sensor were stored from preprogrammed key stationary periods during the year to provide control information about geographic location. Successful results, including annual actogram, were obtained for a red-backed shrike Lanius collurio carrying out its annual loop migration between northern Europe and southern Africa. The shrike completed its annual migration by performing > 66 (max. 73) nocturnal migratory flights (29 flights in autumn and > 37, ma...

本研究报道了一种重量小于1.2克的装置与方法，可在全年周期内记录、处理并存储野生鸣禽个体的活动与位置相关数据。活动水平每5分钟通过5次时长100毫秒的加速度计（accelerometer）数据采样计算得到，采样事件间间隔为5秒。全年按小时粒度存储活动水平数据，由此可区分休息/睡眠、持续飞行以及中等强度活动（觅食、繁殖）等不同行为时段。在全年预设的关键静止时段内，存储光照传感器（light sensor）的测量数据，以提供地理定位所需的对照信息。本研究对红背伯劳（Lanius collurio）开展研究，成功获取了包括年度活动节律图（actogram）在内的实验结果，该个体在北欧与南非之间完成了年度环状迁徙。该伯劳通过完成66次以上（最大73次）夜间迁徙飞行完成年度迁徙（秋季飞行29次，且37次以上……