Species: North Island Robin / toutouwai (Petroica longipes)
Location: New Zealand
Status: Endemic native species
The researchers needed to track North Island robins / toutouwai, a small passerine bird, following a conservation translocation in New Zealand. The robins live in dense forest, making monitoring difficult.
Altitude Conservation provided a Multi-Track Drone Ranger system to assist. This revolutionary technology enabled searches while the drone was moving, and at a search speed 12 times faster than traditional ground tracking methods. Searches were also more efficient, with the system finding 8 times more individuals in the same time. Regular and accurate data allowed the team to monitor the birds’ survival rates, breeding, and whether they were staying within the roughly 4000 hectares of predator-controlled forest.
The Multi-Track Drone Ranger’s fully-automated search capability allowed safe and repeatable search flights using the drone’s auto-pilot, with no manual flying needed. This permitted search flights to be conducted around wind turbines, helicopter operations, and other commercial activities nearby.
