LIFE LANNER together with Technosmart have developed a new device to track the released Lanner falcons

After the releases of the past years, we realized that the instrumentation available on the market was not completely suitable for our purposes. VHF radios used for “close” surveys have proven useless in the long term due to their limited lifespan. GPSs, on the other hand, suffer from the problem of being able to send data only at long intervals, once or twice a day at most, and exclusively in places where there is mobile coverage. Furthermore, in the event that the animal is debilitated and it is necessary to recapture it, the VHF is essential to find it in inhospitable places.

Technosmart Europe, a company specialised in the production of tracking tools for wildlife, took charge of creating a hybrid device. The new instrument is therefore the union of a VHF and a GPS with 4G data transmission. The solar panel on the GPS also recharges the VHF which therefore no longer has battery problems. This should theoretically keep the VHF working for years. Furthermore, the union made it possible to reduce the weight of the instruments, from 18g to 11g, which is essential for being able to monitor the smallest lanner males and not disturb them too much during flight.

All future releases will use these new tools, which are definitely much more comfortable and functional than the traditional 4G GPS devices used until now.