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Fine‐scale bird monitoring from light unmanned aircraft systems |
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| Authors: | FRANCESC SARDÀ‐PALOMERA GERARD BOTA CARLOS VIÑOLO ORIOL PALLARÉS VÍCTOR SAZATORNIL LLUÍS BROTONS SPARTACUS GOMÁRIZ FRANCESC SARDÀ |
| Institution: | 1. àrea de Biodiversitat, Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya, Ctra. St Lloren? de Morunys, Km 2, 25280 Solsona, Catalonia, Spain;2. SIBOC, C/Rosselló 90 Esc. B 6o1o, 08029 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain;3. Departament d’Enginyeria Electrònica, Escola Politècnica Superior d’Enginyeria, de Vilanova i la Geltrú, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Av. Victor Balaguer s/n, 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia, Spain;4. Departament de Recursos Marins Renovables, Institut de Ciències del Mar, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37‐49, 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Abstract: | Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are remote‐controlled devices capable of collecting information from difficult‐to‐access places while minimizing disturbance. Although UAS are increasingly used in many research disciplines, their application to wildlife research remains to be explored in depth. Here, we report on the use of a small UAS to monitor temporal changes in breeding population size in a Black‐headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus colony. This method makes it possible to obtain georeferenced data on nest locations without causing colony disturbance, which would not otherwise be possible via direct ground observations. |
| Keywords: | aerial survey bird colony investigator disturbance remote sensing waterbirds |