Nature NB in New Brunswick has introduced a new method to track monarch butterflies’ migration more effectively this year. The organization collaborated with various groups such as the Saint John Naturalist Club, Point Lepreau Bird Observatory, and Environment and Climate Change Canada to deploy Bluetooth-enabled tags on monarchs for the first time in the region.
These tags, known as BluMorpho tags, are lightweight, solar-powered devices attached to the butterflies’ thorax with eyelash glue. Unlike traditional wing tags that require physical recapture, BluMorpho tags utilize passive Bluetooth interactions. When individuals with Bluetooth enabled on their phones come within 100 meters of a tagged monarch, data points are automatically logged.
Jim Wilson, a member of the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory, emphasized the significance of this technological advancement for tracking monarch butterflies. The previous method relied on luck for someone to find and report a tagged butterfly, whereas the new system allows real-time tracking of the monarchs’ whereabouts.
Last year, this technology was introduced in Canada through a partnership between Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada in southern Ontario. Nature NB secured funding from the Environmental Trust Fund of New Brunswick and the federal government to implement this tracking system. Delays at the border have impacted the deployment of tags this season, but the organization aims to release a total of 22 tags by the end of the season.
The early data collected from the tagged monarchs has already provided valuable insights into their migration patterns. Monarchs passing through Point Lepreau have been confirmed to make stopovers before continuing towards Grand Manan. Additionally, unexpected wind conditions have led some tagged monarchs to land in Nova Scotia, offering researchers new information on migration behaviors influenced by weather.
Tracking individual migration routes could help identify crucial natural corridors that monarchs rely on during their journey. By understanding these routes, conservation efforts can focus on protecting and enhancing these areas to support the monarch population. The public can follow the tagged monarchs’ progress by downloading the Project Monarch app, with each tag in New Brunswick starting with the prefix PLBO. Nature NB aims to tag a total of 22 monarchs in the province by the end of the season.
