08/11/2026
Exciting news for wildlife in Alabama!
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is transforming how we study migration. These high tech receiving stations pick up signals from tiny tags placed on birds, bats, and even insects - giving scientists an incredible window into migration routes, stopover sites, and wintering areas. This information that was nearly impossible to gather at large scales until now.
Funded through the Competitive State Wildlife Grants Program and led by our Division, this project brought together partners from the eastern U.S. to build and maintain a network of more than 200 Motus stations. This effort supports research and conservation of several Species of Greatest Conservation Need, like rusty blackbirds, golden-winged warblers, gray bats, and more. Each new station strengthens the entire system, helping us understand and protect these animals throughout their full annual lifecycle.
Here in Alabama, the American Bird Conservancy has helped us install seven Motus stations under this grant! These stations have already detected 38 individuals, including ten species of birds and bats, giving us incredible new insights into the wildlife moving across our state.
Want to explore the data yourself? Zoom in on Alabama and click on the purple dots to view the animals that have been picked up at each station: https://motus.org/dashboard/ =stations&f=%7B%7D
