In Puy-de-Dôme and Cantal, drones with thermal cameras to the rescue of Eurasian curlews, a vulnerable species
The LPO (Bird Protection League) of Auvergne will set up a new technique at the end of spring, to locate and protect the nests of the Eurasian curlew, a vulnerable species of which there are only a hundred pairs left in Auvergne. . These are thermal camera drones.
In Auvergne, the LPO (Bird Protection League) intends to put technology at the service of animal protection. Indeed, at the beginning of May, the association will experiment with the use of drones equipped with thermal cameras which will make it possible to flush out the nests of the Eurasian curlew, a species of bird considered "vulnerable". This test program will be carried out in two areas where Eurasian curlews are frequently found: Limagne (Puy-de-Dôme) and Planèze de Saint-Flour (Cantal). This technique is necessary because these nests are often well hidden: “To spot the broods, it's very difficult. The females, when incubating, are completely camouflaged in the environment and with a simple drone and a normal camera it is almost impossible to find them. They blend in completely with the vegetation. Its plumage is made to hide from predators,” explains Clément Rollant, member of the LPO and in charge of this project in Puy-de-Dôme.
Find bird nests
Volunteers and employees will first work to identify pairs of Eurasian curlews to find out which plots of land are frequented by these birds. They will then observe the displays to get an idea of the nest placement area. This observation takes place from mid-March to the end of April: “From there, we will use a drone with two on-board cameras, a thermal and a normal one. We will make flights at daybreak, early in the morning. The birds give off a bit of heat and this will contrast with the ground which is cold at the start of the day. We will therefore be able to observe luminous points on the control screens which will indicate the presence of an animal. The second camera will allow us to quickly visualize whether it is a curlew or another animal,” explains Clément Rollant. Once the nest is located, the drone will allow the LPO to obtain the GPS coordinates of the exact location of the bird.
Working with the agricultural world
If the nest is on an agricultural plot, the volunteers will then contact the farmer who owns the field or meadow. “We inquire to find out what work is planned on the plot and if it could pose a problem for the proper development of the broods. In this case, we then see with the farmer to find a solution that will save the nest,” specifies Clément Rollant. If the curlew sets up its nest in a cornfield, for example, the LPO will mark the nest so that the farmer knows precisely where it is and can avoid it when agricultural machinery passes. “The protection of the curlews will be done in good agreement with the farmers. Things are going very well for the Montagu's harriers, we are working very well with the agricultural world for the preservation of the species. We have very good contacts with the farmers,” adds Clément Rollant. The members of the association also fear the predation of the Eurasian curlews by foxes, martens or even stray dogs: “We will put an electrified fence which will keep predators at a distance”, affirms Clément Rollant. Drones are already being used for the preservation of Montagu's Harriers, as seen in the video below:
Drones used to protect birds"It allows you to find more nests in the season and save more birds"
In Auvergne, drones have been used since 2016, but thermal cameras have only just made their appearance: “Colleagues elsewhere in France have been using thermal drones to identify broods for about 2 years. It seems to be bearing fruit. We don't necessarily have the same environments, but we hope it will work just as well for us", indicates Clément Rollant, for whom the thermal drone would be a significant time saver for the preservation of species: "It's very complicated to spot the nests. It requires dozens of hours of surveillance to precisely locate the nest. There, the drone, in a few minutes, it will have flown over the plot and we can find the location of the nest. It allows to find more nests in the season and to save more birds. The LPO uses a service provider for drones via sponsorship agreements.
A species on the red list
If the Eurasian curlew is now a vulnerable species, it is partly because of landscape changes in Auvergne. It usually nests in wet meadows which are increasingly transformed, particularly in Limagne, to make crop fields. "The curlew has succeeded in changing its habits and nesting in the wheat for example, so some of the broods manage to fly away, but less than before", specifies Clément Rollant. According to him, this transformation of landscapes induces a decline in biodiversity in general and therefore, for predators, a tendency to turn towards the few remaining species, including the Eurasian curlew, which is in fact more frequently hunted by other species. In Auvergne, there are less than a hundred pairs left. In the plain of Limagne, this figure is estimated at around ten. However, this species remains huntable, even if in Auvergne, it is not a frequently hunted species. However, according to Clément Rollant, Eurasian curlews are subject to strong hunting pressure on the coast during the wintering period.