Black-fronted Terns with GPS trackers

[FraserGurney]

Hi everyone, as part of my Master's thesis I've been attaching GPS trackers to black-fronted terns at their breeding colonies in the Mackenzie Basin.

The trackers are quite small and hard to spot (easiest to see in flight), but if you see a tern with a tracker on its back I'd be extremely grateful if you'd let me know, either here on the forum or via email at frasergurney@gmail.com. The birds need to be within a certain range of a receiving unit to transmit their data, so once they leave their breeding colonies (where the receivers currently are) I am effectively blind as to where they are until they come into range again. Any tip off would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks all and happy birding,
Fraser

[FraserGurney]

Hi everyone, just a quick reminder to please check any black-fronted terns you see around the place this winter for GPS backpacks. Any info at all on these birds movements is extremely helpful at this stage of the study.

Thanks again!
Fraser

[Paul Sagar]

Hi Fraser,
Joy & I spotted a bird banded with a metal on the left leg among 108 black-fronted terns (all in full breeding plumage) roosting on the gravel bar at the Opihi Rivermouth on 30 June. There was nothing on the bird's right leg and we didn't spot any backpack, though we were over 100m away so maybe not close enough to see.

Cheers,
Paul

[FraserGurney]

Hi Paul, thanks for reaching out.
The birds I'm following are all metal banded on the right leg (except for one which already had a band on the left leg) so likely not one of mine. Thanks for the heads up though!