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Snowy Owl Telemetry Research Project
 Bird-sized Transmitters
There are several companies that make satellite transmitters for wildlife, and specifically for birds. These devices are known as Position Tracking Terminals (PTTs).
A great deal of research has been done to determine the optimum size, weight, postitioning and attachment of PTTs so that they do not impact the behavior, health or mortality of the wildlife being tracked.
The PTTs used in the Snowy Owl project are battery-powered, and will last a year or more. They weigh less than 3 ounces.
Norm only puts PTTs on the healthiest of the Snowy Owls he captures at the airport. The device is attached to the owl by 2 Teflon ribbons, which go over the bird's body in front of the wing, cross over the stomach and come back up behind the wing to attach to the opposite corner of the PTT.
The transmitter harness is designed to fall off after the life of the battery has been reached. There is no evidence that the transmitter in any way effects the owls movement, hunting or breeding.
As you can see in the photo, the birds quickly preen their feathers over the transmitter until all that can be seen is part of the antenna.
Once the PTT is turned on, it transmits data in short bursts periodically - the less frequently it transmits, the longer the battery will last. The transmission is received by a weather satellite run by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These satellites are equipped with a special system from ARGOS that stores and retransmits the data to ground stations, which then pass the data to processing stations, and on to the researchers. Read more about ARGOS.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) partners with many other agencies, nonprofits and universities in studying bird migration. The Snake River Field Station of the USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center has a Raptor research program that processes and provides the Snowy Owl data.
More information on using satellite telemetry to monitor wildfile:
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