Last updated: August 29, 2025
Article
Some Tracking Device Attachments Can Harm Oystercatchers
Recent work shows the effects of attaching tracking devices to leg bands vs. harnesses.
By the editorial staff of Park Science magazine
About this article
This article was originally published in the "Research Roundup" section of Park Science magazine, Volume 39, Number 2, Summer 2025 (August 29, 2025).
From Colletti and others, Wader Study, 2025.
Image credit: Colletti and others. 2025. Evaluating effects of tracking device attachment methods on Black Oystercatchers Haematopus bachmani. Wader Study 131(3): 204–213.
Tracking bird behavior helps scientists understand their ecology. This is crucial for effectively conserving and managing them. As tracking devices become smaller and lighter, researchers can gather more information about how birds behave and interact with their environments. But different tracking devices and attachment methods can have varying effects on bird species.
A team of scientists studied how leg bands or leg-loop harnesses influenced the visibility and survival rates of black oystercatchers in Alaska and British Columbia. The researchers shared their findings in the January 2025 issue of Wader Study. They found that small tracking devices attached to leg bands were more detrimental to the birds’ survival than larger trackers attached to leg-loop harnesses.
The study authors suggest that cable ties and tape used to attach the smaller trackers to leg bands could be limiting how much the bands expand as the birds’ legs grow. And the unbalanced weight of the tracker on the leg band may increase the risk of cuts, swelling, and infections. Other studies on other species have yielded different results. The researchers emphasize that the effects of tracking devices differ between species, and attachment methods should be considered as well as device weights. They call for more work on understanding tag effects in bird-tracking studies.
Colletti and others. 2025. Evaluating effects of tracking device attachment methods on Black Oystercatchers Haematopus bachmani. Wader Study 131(3): 204–213.