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| -- Satellite Tracking -- Africa -- Whooper Swans -- Bar-headed Geese -- Swan Geese -- Kazakhstan Ducks -- Qinghai Waterbirds -- Poyang Ducks -- |
| AFRICA WATERFOWL MIGRATION - 2007 |
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Very little is known about the migration patterns of wild ducks in Africa or their possible involvement in the spread of highly pathogenic
avian influenza H5N1. In February 2007, a project was initiated by an international team led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization, U. S. Geological Survey, CIRAD, and Wetlands International.
Working closely with several environmental groups in Malawi,
Nigeria, and Mali, our task is to deploy solar satellite transmitters (size in grams) on three species of wild ducks including garganey (12g),
white-faced whistling ducks (18g), and comb ducks (30g). These represent a continental migrant, an African migrant, and a resident species,
respectively.
Ducks will be captured, tested, marked with transmitters and followed by satellite. The transmitters are programmed to send data to the satellite every 1-2 days. The larger 30g transmitters for comb ducks are GPS-Argos solar transmitters that are programmed to provide locations up to every 2 hours, mostly during daylight hours. Our goal is to identify movements and major areas used by these species, to assess the potential for risks of disease spread. |
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