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Detection Rates Of Northern Bobwhite Coveys Using A Small Unmanned Aerial System-Mounted Thermal Camera, Megan E. Martin, Lori A. Hearon, Kristine O. Evans, Raymond B. Iglay, Jesse I. Morrison, Mark D. Mcconnell
Detection Rates Of Northern Bobwhite Coveys Using A Small Unmanned Aerial System-Mounted Thermal Camera, Megan E. Martin, Lori A. Hearon, Kristine O. Evans, Raymond B. Iglay, Jesse I. Morrison, Mark D. Mcconnell
National Quail Symposium Proceedings
The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) requires intensive monitoring to evaluate management efforts and determine harvest rates. However, traditional monitoring techniques (e.g., covey-call surveys) are labor-intensive and imprecise. Small unmanned aerial systems (sUASs) mounted with thermal cameras have demonstrated promise for monitoring multiple avian species and could provide a less intensive and more effective approach to monitoring bobwhite coveys, assuming coveys produce a recognizable heat signature. To assess sUAS monitoring, we evaluated the influence of bobwhite covey size (3, 6, and 12) and cover type (grass, shrub, and forest) on covey detectability by a sUAS equipped with …