The collaborative efforts of the GWWASRC aim to develop an integrated population model (IPM) for assessing the population viability and current and future breeding distribution of the Golden-winged Warbler using the latest advances in wildlife tracking technology. Traditional mark-recapture methods have proved insufficient for determining adult female survival – females are more difficult to recapture and detect in the field than male counterparts. Biologists across the Golden-winged Warbler breeding range are deploying VHF-radio tags (Lotek NanoTags) to find the first reliable estimates of female Golden-winged Warbler survival. 

Tagged individuals will be tracked through the Motus Wildlife Tracking Network and through ground tracking in subsequent years. NanoTags wills be deployed by collaborators from both the Great Lakes region and the Appalachian Mountain region. Comparisons of estimated annual survival for both tagged birds and control birds will be performed to determine the level of agreement in estimates and for inclusion in the IPM.

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