{"id":40468,"date":"2025-07-24T17:08:39","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T14:08:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/?p=40468"},"modified":"2025-07-24T17:08:40","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T14:08:40","slug":"gps-tracking-vultures-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4vultures.org\/pt\/blog\/gps-tracking-vultures-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"Behind the scenes of GPS tracking in vultures conservation\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

One instrument to monitor vultures\u2019 movements, behaviour and overall condition: the GPS tracker. It is one of the most powerful tools used not only to monitor individuals, but to shape conservation actions. Let\u2019s take a closer look at how the process works and why organisations like the Vulture Conservation Foundation have been investing so much in it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The first Cinereous Vulture nestling tagged with a GPS transmitter at Douro in 2020 \u00a9 Vulture Conservation Foundation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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One tool to answer many questions <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vulture species around the world are mostly declining due to poisoning, habitat loss, collisions with energy infrastructures, and poaching. To tackle these threats, and implement effective and long-lasting measures, we need to understand vultures\u2019 habits, ecology and where they are most at risk. And what better way to do so than following different individuals in their daily lives, recording multiple data at the same time<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GPS or satellite transmitters record several information about the tagged individual<\/strong>: its position, temperature, movement \u2013 including direction, speed and altitude of flight. They also record environmental information<\/strong>. From these data, researchers can not only map vultures’ movements and daily habits<\/a>, like preferred feeding and resting spots, but record their behaviour. In fact, it is possible to understand when a vulture is feeding, or when it is in distress, based only on the interpretation of the information given by the transmitter. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to tracking, scientists have been able to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maps representing the distribution of feeding events by GPS-tracked Griffon Vultures, according to different feeding sites \u00a9 Arrondo et al. 2023<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n