How to Use RADAR to Track Migrating Canadian Geese

Radio detection and ranging (RADAR) is a system that uses radio waves to determine the direction, altitude and speed of moving and stationary objects. Although RADAR is used to track weather patterns and planes, ornithologist and other researchers have used RADAR to track migratory patterns of Canada geese. Due to the expensive price for a RADAR machine and the difficulty of using RADAR, this is not the recommended method for bird enthusiasts to track geese or other birds.

Things You'll Need

  • Digital RADAR machine
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Instructions

    • 1

      Obtain an open-array antenna bird-tracking RADAR device. The narrower the beam width, the greater target discrimination you will have. Avoid dome antennas as they are not able to track birds Larger antennas will offer better target discrimination because as the length of the antenna radiator increases, the more narrow the beam width becomes.

    • 2

      Set your RADAR to the long-range setting. Increase the sensitivity until you see "noise" on your display -- it appears as an array of small pixels. Set the receiver for maximum sensitivity to detect the Canada geese. The flock of geese will appear as dense, recurring small pixels -- not a solid dense mass -- your display.

    • 3

      Stabilize the display, by using a "true motion" setting. This allows you to see the direction the Canada geese are flying or if they are currently sedentary. When tracking the geese while they are traveling, use a "target trail" function on your RADAR for better accuracy.