Study maps priorities for expanding Pacific Flyway bird-tracking network

What you need to know

• The approach is designed to help decide where new receiving stations may be most useful for tracking several priority species, rather than targeting a single species at a time. Its value lies in supporting choices about network expansion across a large flyway. 1
• The model accounts for prediction uncertainty as well as the probability of detecting multiple species. This means the resulting maps should be understood as estimates to inform planning, not as guarantees that birds will be detected at any selected site. 1
• The study focuses on gaps in western North American Motus coverage and the potential for additional tracking capacity to support research on migratory birds. The supplied reporting does not quantify the size of those gaps or estimate how many new stations the Pacific Flyway needs. 13
• A separate Utah state project record shows that related network-building work is taking place: it marks a Phase II build-out as completed and describes plans to prioritise about 20 additional station locations. That activity is regional context, not evidence that the study’s recommendations have been adopted. 3
• The study provides code and outputs for conservation use, making its method available as a planning resource. Whether those resources lead to better-informed conservation decisions will depend on what happens after candidate sites are identified. 1

Why this matters

Where receiving stations are placed can shape the usefulness of a tracking network for studying migratory birds. A multi-species approach offers a way to weigh potential detection opportunities across priority species, while making clear that predicted value still needs to be tested in practice. 1

What happens next

The key next steps are to determine which recommended locations will be selected, funded and equipped, then compare predicted hotspots with actual detections. Monitoring will also be needed to establish whether implementation benefits conservation decisions or migratory stopover habitat. 1

What we know

• The study was published online on 21 October 2026 in The Journal of Wildlife Management. 12
• Its method uses eBird data and multi-species occupancy modelling to identify locations predicted to have a high probability of detecting multiple priority species with new Motus stations. 1
• The work includes prediction uncertainty and provides code and outputs intended for conservation use. 1

What we don't know

• It is not yet clear which recommended sites will be selected, funded or equipped with operational receiving stations. 1
• The supplied sources do not establish how closely predicted multi-species hotspots will match actual detections once stations are deployed. 1
• There is no reported assessment showing whether implementation will improve conservation decisions or benefit migratory stopover habitat. 1

Read the reporting

This WildNews briefing synthesises and summarises reporting from the sources below. WildNews did not produce the original reporting. Learn more about how we use AI