White storks with GPS transmitters in their nests and a tagged bird of prey being examined.

Wildlife research: Keeping an eye on endangered birds worldwide

e-obs develops networked GPS transmitters for wild birds and transmits their movement data via mobile networks. The data sets provide wildlife researchers with precise insights into the population, behaviour and migration routes of endangered species.

^{Source: Condor – Paul Monas B., Fundación Cóndor Andino; Storks – MPIAB}

“Our tags track wild birds across national borders. Deutsche Telekom’s IoT connectivity ensures that we can reliably transmit their data whilst on the move – using a single, unified solution rather than numerous individual mobile contracts.”

Franz Kümmeth, Co-Founder e-obs

3 steps to an IoT use case

Challenge

Wild birds often travel long distances, whether along migration routes between Europe and Africa or within their habitats in mountainous regions. Conventional GPS trackers are not sufficient to fully understand their whereabouts, behaviour and the risks they face along their routes. Research and species conservation require detailed movement data over long periods, ideally without the need for constant on-site presence or repeated disturbance of the birds.

Solution

e-obs specialises in GPS telemetry for wild animals. Based in Grünwald, Bavaria, the company develops lightweight, solar-powered GPS tags for wild birds. As well as tracking position, integrated sensors also record data such as speed, wingbeat and flight attitude. A radio module featuring Telekom’s IoT eSIM chips connects to the mobile network several times a day to transmit the stored data to the e-obs server. The data can then be made available to the scientific community via research platforms. Thanks to Telekom’s global IoT network, the tags remain accessible at all times, even when the birds cross multiple countries and mobile networks.

Customer benefits

Researchers receive comprehensive data sets on the animals’ location and behaviour. Instead of collecting data in the field, they access movement profiles via the cloud and are better able to assess exhaustion, food shortages or collision risks. Telekom’s IoT connectivity enables e-obs to roll out projects globally without having to manage separate mobile network contracts for each country.

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Wildlife tracking: Keeping an eye on endangered birds worldwide
From Andean condors to white storks, researchers are fitting endangered bird species with connected GPS trackers and, thanks to IoT connectivity, are obtaining detailed movement profiles from around the world.
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IoT Connectivity
The right IoT connectivity coordinates IoT connections across platforms, integrates devices and data via API, and enables global control with the highest security standards. You can manage your IoT projects flexibly, efficiently, and independently of manufacturers.
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