Toucan News

Toucans with GPS

from NaviGadget by Administrator

Scientists at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute recently used nutmeg-loving toucans to study seed dispersal. This is a very old problem in plant ecology and the newest high tech solution is to have these toucans wear GPS transmitters. Toucans were the choice of species because apparently they’re good seed dispersers.

The researchers collected fresh seeds from a common Panamanian nutmeg tree and fed them to captive toucans at the Rotterdam Zoo. They gulp nutmeg seeds whole, the outer pulp is processed in the bird’s crop, and the hard inner seed is then regurgitated. Five zoo toucans fed 100 nutmeg seeds took an average of 25.5 minutes to process and regurgitate the seeds.

Not only GPS information was collected; but also an accelerometer was also in this mini back pack the birds had strapped on. The accelerometer helped measured birds activity level… via
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