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  • Wings Across Borders: Tracking Wildlife, Connecting Cultures.

Migration connects Northern Arizona to ecosystems across continents. With the support of our community, Northern Arizona Audubon Society helped bring Motus technology to the region by installing two wildlife tracking stations in Northern Arizona—one at Anderson Mesa (Flagstaff) and another at Tres Brisas (Camp Verde). These stations contribute to the global Motus network, strengthening our ability to understand and protect migratory species.

Motus is a cutting-edge wildlife tracking network that helps scientists, conservationists, and communities better understand the movements of birds and other wildlife. Through the installation of tracking stations and the support of community partners, our Motus program, Wings Across Borders: Tracking Wildlife, Connecting Cultures, is expanding knowledge of migration, strengthening conservation efforts, and connecting people across landscapes and borders.



Birds featured left to right: Flammulated Owl (Frumpy), American White Pelican, Northern Shoveler by ©Eric Gofreed



What is the Motus Wildife Tracking System?

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an international research network that uses small radio transmitters and automated receiving stations to track the movements of birds, bats, and insects. As tagged animals pass within range of a Motus tower, their signals are recorded, creating valuable data about migration routes, stopover sites, and habitat use.

By contributing to this global network, our Motus program helps fill critical gaps in scientific knowledge while building local capacity for research, education, and conservation.

 Learn more about Motus.org

Why Motus Matters

Migration connects ecosystems across continents, yet many migration routes and key habitats remain poorly understood. Motus provides the data needed to answer essential questions about wildlife movement and survival.

Through Motus, we can:

  • Identify important migration corridors and stopover habitats

  • Support science-based conservation and land management

  • Strengthen collaboration among researchers, communities, and organizations

  • Inspire the next generation of conservation leaders through education and research opportunities

Motus transforms individual observations into a shared, global understanding of wildlife movement.

In 2024, Northern Arizona Audubon Society launched Phase 1 of our Motus program, Wings Across Borders: Tracking Wildlife, Connecting Cultures—an important step in understanding Northern Arizona’s role as a key migratory corridor for birds.

Arizona supports more than 550 bird species, including hundreds of migratory species that pass through the region each year. Northern Arizona’s diverse landscapes provide critical habitat along these migration routes.


Phase I: Building the Motus Network

Thanks to the generous support of our community, partners, and donors, we successfully completed Phase 1 of our Motus initiative with the installation of two Motus towers:

  • Anderson Mesa

  • Tres Brias

These towers are now contributing data to the global Motus network, expanding our region’s role in international wildlife research and conservation.

Phase 1 represents a major milestone: establishing the infrastructure needed to track wildlife and generate meaningful scientific data.



What We’re Discovering

Since the installation of the towers, we have recorded seven different species from migrating wildlife. These detections represent a growing dataset that helps reveal patterns of movement across seasons and landscapes.

Species detected so far include:

  • White-crowned sparrow

  • Willow Flycatcher

  • Grasshopper sparrow

  • Northern Shoveler

  • Tree Swallow

  • Flammulated Owl

  • American White Pelican

As data continues to accumulate, our understanding of migration routes and habitat use will deepen, informing future conservation efforts.


Phase II: Motus Student Grants 

For Phase II, NAAS has partnered with Observatorio de Aves de Tlaxiaco (OATL), to launch our Motus initiative focused on education and research through the Motus Student Grants pilot program.

What Are the Motus Student Grants?

The Motus Student Grants support students in exploring the research projects that use Motus data. Students have reached out to Motus project leaders who perform the fieldwork necessary to explore questions about wildlife movement, ecology, and conservation. Through this program, students learn how to research a bird's or species' migratory path using real-world scientific data to better understand conservation challenges.

The grants are designed to empower students to ask meaningful questions about migratory species, habitats, and environmental change, while building skills using the Birds Canada/Motus.org website research. Student increase their ability to analyze, and communication the important questions facing migratory birds today.



Motus Student Grants recipients (from top left: Abbie Brozich, Samantha Grow, Aketzali Martínez, and Diego Guerra.


Why This Program Exists

These grants are designed to:

  • Empower students to understand the power of conservation science

  • Build research capacity in local and regional communities

  • Foster cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary collaboration

  • Cultivate future leaders in wildlife research and conservation

The Motus Student Grants program is made possible through the continued support of our community. Help us continue to inspire future conservationists. 


Donate Now


Upcoming Events

Learn more about Motus from our community

This video captures the journey of installing Northern Arizona Audubon Society’s first Motus wildlife tracking towers—from planning and preparation to installation in the field. We are deeply grateful to Lumberjack for documenting this project and helping tell the story of our work. The video features Northern Arizona Audubon board members and volunteers whose dedication made this milestone possible.

Hear how our community came together to bring Motus to Northern Arizona—and why this work matters for migratory birds.



Northern Arizona Audubon Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization dedicated to engaging people in appreciating and protecting birds and the places they need.

EIN:31-1742628

PO Box 1496 Sedona, AZ 86339

VISIT OUR SANCTUARY SITES

Bubbling Ponds | 1950 N Page Springs Rd, Cornville AZ 86325

Sedona Wetlands | 7500 W State Route 89a, Sedona, AZ 86336 (between mile markers 365 & 366) 

Picture Canyon | N. El Paso Flagstaff Rd 
Flagstaff, Arizona

Kachina Wetlands | 2263 Utility Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86005

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