Drones Enhance Bobwhite Quail Conservation Research
By Olivia Lappin
With various uses such as herbicide application, assisting in deer recovery, mapping vegetation, and even detecting illegal poaching activities, the potential for utilizing drones in wildlife conservation appears limitless. Given the wide range of applications, there must be new and unique ways to incorporate drones into upland game research, right?
During my master’s studies at Mississippi State University with Dr. Mark McConnell, I investigated bobwhite calling behavior and roost site selection. While working at Prairie Wildlife, I became all too familiar on how difficult it is to trap bobwhites, especially in low densities.
I was hoping to trap bobwhites to radio collar and track them, but I was struggling to capture enough birds. Especially at sites with low bobwhite densities, trapping is challenging. After a few weeks, I contemplated shifting our research focus from bobwhites to cotton rats or mourning doves.
Fortunately, we stumbled upon a research paper by Taylor Shirley and Adam Janke from Iowa State University. The paper explored the use of drones equipped with thermal cameras to locate and capture pheasants using nets. During the study, researchers managed to capture at least one pheasant on 10 out of 16 trap nights. On their best night, they captured four pheasants in under 30 minutes.
Given their success, I thought, why couldn’t we try this technique with bobwhites? After all, I needed all the help I could get to capture them!
I gathered a team consisting of research technicians, enthusiastic volunteers, and a few PhD students and post-docs who held drone pilot licenses. Jared Elmore, a Research Assistant Professor at Clemson University and the Science Coordinator for the National Bobwhite & Grassland Initiative (NBGI), who was a postdoctoral research associate at Mississippi State University at the time, possessed exceptional drone skills and was eager to assist.
Drone heatmap
With a few bobwhites already radio-collared, we could pinpoint the entire covey’s location. Once we had a rough idea of where the covey was, Elmore launched the drone. It didn’t take long before a thermal image revealed the distinctive ring-shaped covey structure!
To our surprise, you could even see individual birds within the covey. Elmore maneuvered the drone overhead to help direct our capture team closer to the precise location of the covey. As we approached the covey, the capture team illuminated the area with spotlights when we were about 5 meters away. We then snuck in and tried to capture the covey using hand nets and a weighted cast net.
We attempted this method on six additional attempts. Unfortunately, the results did not always meet our expectations, as we managed to catch birds only twice. We found that birds in shorter vegetation, like grazed cattle pastures, were easier to approach quietly, leading to a higher likelihood of capturing them. Conversely, we found it difficult to walk quietly toward coveys that roosted in native warm-season grass and forb fields where birds would flush before we were in capture distance. It highlights how crucial good cover is for protecting bobwhite from predators!
Drone heatmap animation
Having successfully recorded thermal signatures of individual bobwhite during drone flights, we wondered if we could use similar methods to count individuals in coveys and uncover a new way to refine population estimates.
Many land managers, private organizations, as well as state and federal agencies strive to obtain accurate bobwhite population estimates. Yet, as is often the case with bobwhite-related matters, obtaining accurate population estimates can be challenging. For most land managers seeking to tally quail on their land, options include fall covey counts, breeding season whistle surveys, helicopter counts, or roadside surveys. However, these methods can require ample time, manpower, and financial resources.
Through thermal imaging, we had some success, but would like to further develop the process in the future. Although there is still more to learn, and as technology advances, thermal drones could be a valuable tool for locating and refining population estimates for quail, pheasants, and other upland gamebirds. Additionally, thermal drone imagery could assist in capture of birds for research or help to obtain population estimates.
While there are obstacles like needing specialized equipment, a licensed drone pilot, cold temperatures, low visual obstructions, and sufficient covey sizes to detect thermal signatures, drones show potential as a practical tool for researchers and land managers studying upland birds in grassland settings.
The sky’s the limit!
Olivia Lappin is an Integrated Habitat Management Rights of Way & Energy Coordinating Wildlife Biologist for Pheasants Forever in the Southeast.
To learn more about using drones and thermal cameras to locate and count bobwhite quail coveys visit British Ecological Society here .
This story originally appeared in the British Ecological Solutions and Evidence: Volume 5, Issue 1, the January-March 2024 edition. To support Pheasants Forever become a Pheasants Forever member .