Nature NB in New Brunswick has embraced a groundbreaking approach to tracking monarch butterflies this year, eliminating the traditional reliance on luck for finding tagged butterflies along their migration route. The organization, in collaboration with the Saint John Naturalist Club, Point Lepreau Bird Observatory, and Environment and Climate Change Canada, has introduced Bluetooth-enabled tags called BluMorpho tags on monarchs for the first time in the province.
These innovative tags, weighing only 0.066 grams and powered by solar energy, are attached to the butterfly’s thorax with a small antenna along the abdomen using eyelash glue. Unlike conventional wing tags that require physical recapture for data collection, BluMorpho tags operate through passive Bluetooth interactions. Individuals with Bluetooth enabled on their phones within 100 meters of a tagged monarch will automatically record a data point.
Jim Wilson, a member of the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory, emphasized the significance of this technology shift, highlighting the move from relying on luck to having real-time online tracking capabilities. The BluMorpho tags were first introduced in Canada last year through a partnership between Environment and Climate Change Canada and Birds Canada in southern Ontario.
Despite facing delays at the border affecting tag deployment, Nature NB plans to release a total of 22 tags by the end of the season, with the potential for 13 more if the remaining shipment clears customs in time. Early data from the tagged monarchs has already provided valuable insights into migration patterns, confirming Point Lepreau as a crucial stopover point for monarchs heading towards Grand Manan along the Eastern Seaboard.
Unexpected findings, such as monarchs being blown off course to Nova Scotia due to strong westerly winds, have shed light on how environmental factors influence migration decisions. Tracking individual migration routes with the new technology could help conservationists identify key natural corridors essential for monarch survival, aiding in the prioritization of conservation efforts.
To follow the tagged monarchs’ journey, individuals can download the Project Monarch app, with tags in New Brunswick beginning with the prefix PLBO for Point Lepreau Bird Observatory. By the season’s end, Nature NB aims to have tagged 22 monarchs in the province using this cutting-edge tracking technology.
