(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
This story was originally published by Iowa Capital Dispatch and is unaltered.
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Migratory bird tracking could boost conservation efforts for the wood thrush • Iowa Capital Dispatch [1]
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Date: 2025-07-18
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources participates in a global network that uses small tags and antenna receivers to track migratory patterns of birds, bats and insects, and it has recorded 607 detections of 340 individuals from 39 bird species in the state since 2021.
These figures come from the department’s annual report, which shows the Motus Wildlife Tracking Network continues to expand each year in Iowa.
According to a DNR annual report, Iowa is an “important” migratory corridor and has some of the highest numbers of migrating birds – up to 1 billion in some years – during the fall season.
The “vision” for the program in Iowa is to have a 42-station, Motus “fence” from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River to “maximize” detection of north-south migrating species through the state.
The DNR report said Motus stations in any location provide valuable insight into migratory patterns.
Right now, there are 32 Motus stations in Iowa and more than 2,200 stations across the globe.
Motus tags weigh 3% or less of the bird’s body weight and have a battery lifespan of around 400 days, which means both fall and spring migrations are tracked with a single tag. The tags emit a signal that is detected by the Motus stations when a bird flies near the station.
DNR also expanded the program in 2024 by tagging birds that breed in Iowa, including 27 wood thrushes.
Wood thrush is considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Iowa and in 25 other states because the population has declined across North America by more than 50% in the past 50 years.
DNR tagged the birds at nine different sites as part of a regional Motus collaboration to track the birds and gain important knowledge on wood thrush habits that could help with their conservation.
According to a press release from DNR, the project showed two wood thrushes from Iowa and a number from other states, were detected at the same Motus station in Belize this winter.
“This high detection rate indicates that this particular area of Belize is an important migratory corridor for the species at large, and that habitat conservation efforts in this region are necessary and valuable to Wood Thrush no matter where they breed,” the release said.
Of the 27 tagged in Iowa last summer, 14 returned to the state during spring migration, according to the data.
Some birds fly over a number of Motus stations during their migrations, like wood thrush 88620, which DNR reported was tagged at Brown’s Woods park in Des Moines before traveling through Missouri, down to José Cardel in Mexico. The bird then returned to Brown’s Woods park via Texas and then Missouri.
DNR has tagged 10 more wood thrushes this year and hopes to continue the work to further understand the birds and “improve conservation efforts.”
Individuals can support the Motus project by donating to cover the cost and maintenance of the antennae, or by hosting a Motus on their property. Information on applying to host can be found on the Motus website.
Protect birds from reflective windows
As fall migration season starts up in August, Iowans can take a couple of steps, some as simple as turning off the kitchen light at night, to keep birds from hitting windows.
Cats and windows are the top human-related causes of mortality to birds in North America. And it’s not just skyscrapers that take out birds as they fly through a region.
The Bird Collision Prevention Alliance reports more than 1 billion birds die from window collisions annually, and the American Bird Conservancy reported 44% of collisions occur with homes and buildings three stories tall or shorter.
Birds can’t see windows, so reflections on a window, or a light on inside a window at night can make it look like a habitat the bird can fly through.
The best way to give birds a heads up? Decals, parachute-cord curtains, screens and even tempera paint can all be used to deter birds from trying to fly through a window.
DNR suggests placing decals or cords about 2 inches apart on a window to make sure the birds don’t try to squeeze through any perceived gaps. Curtains and blinds inside can help, but the best solutions are placed outside of the glass to ensure the birds can see them.
A large majority of bird migration happens at night, which is why turning the lights off at night can significantly reduce bird collisions.
DNR recommends going dark between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during peak migration months, which are April and May in spring and August through October in the fall.
BirdCast also offers location specific, night migration forecasts and alerts for those more interested in knowing when, where and how many birds are flying overhead.
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https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/07/18/migratory-bird-tracking-could-boost-conservation-efforts-for-the-wood-thrush/
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