Applications

Exploring woodcock migration

An American Woodcock receiving a satellite tag
(Photo credit: Billy Pope, ALDNR)

During my work with the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative (EWMRC) I built several tools to improve our ability to communicate results to the public. Both of these tools allow users to interactively explore the tracks of GPS-tagged woodcock, either in real time or through archived data.

The Migration Exploration App is used in concert with our woodcock migration microblog to update the public on the migratory routes and timing of tagged woodcock.
The Historical Data Exploration App allows users to view full migrations from >500 tagged woodcock throughout the course of the project.

Migration Exploration App

View the app here

The Migration Exploration App shows satellite-tagged woodcock migrating north in the spring

Interactive habitat prioritization

Satellite-tagged woodcock using nesting habitat (Photo credit: Mathieu Tetreault, Environment and Climate Change Canada)

During a collaborative project with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, we built an application to allow PGC employees to interactively weight migratory and breeding season habitat suitability when making woodcock habitat conservation decisions. The resulting tool, called the Woodcock Priority Area Siting Tool (W-PAST), has since been used to inform state-level management and support woodcock habitat funding proposals in Pennsylvania.

Advantages of W-PAST:

Demonstrates how species distribution models can combine animal tracking data with traditional survey data
Encourages consideration of habitat use throughout the full annual cycle
Provides a platform for users to integrate management priorities into the interpretation of species distribution models

Woodcock Priority Area Siting Tool

View the app here

W-PAST illustrates how woodcock habitat suitability changes between breeding and migratory seasons