Flying ducks

Tracking Birds

Avian biotelemetry has come a long way since the late 1950s, when Bill Cochran and others at the University of Illinois at Champlain developed the first VHF radio tag to be attached to an animal.  The 1980s witnessed the development of the world’s first satellite tag for birds, with Bill Seegar and others leading a team at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory to (ultimately) track migratory tundra peregrine falcons.  Towards the end of the first decade of the 2000s, various separate teams around the world began to develop small cellular tags for birds, and the miniaturization of these tags has continued at an astounding pace whilst simultaneously incorporating increasingly smaller GPS chipsets.  Today, avian biotelemetry (as a field) enjoys a rather large and expanding toolbox of tags, technologies, and approaches to learn about the world of birds, particularly from the backs of birds.  North Star offers our clients access to all of these tags, technologies, and approaches through not only our own line of products and services but also those of our industry-leading partners throughout the world.  Let us help you with your project.


The PHOENIX—A rebirth of global bird tracking & data monitoring!

The Phoenix is our latest bird-tracking and data-monitoring technology, and it’s the first of its kind worldwide. IT’S A REAL POWERHOUSE DEVICE that rises above the status quo to deliver actionable data to conservation and academic communities alike (LEARN MORE).

The Ostrich Tag

The Phoenix ~ 22g

The Phoenix ~ 23g

The Phoenix ~ 28g

The Phoenix ~ 40g

The Phoenix Ear Tag ~ 50g

The Phoenix Turkey Tag ~ 110g


Customer Instructions for a Successful Deployment

Live Feeds of North Star PTTs to Movebank