Publication of a video-tracking program for tracking the orientation of migratory birds

In a recent paper, CAnMove PI Rachel Muheim and coworkers present a new video-tracking program, BirdOriTrack, for analyzing the orientation of migratory birds (and potentially other animals) filmed in circular cages or funnels. The program automatically extracts time-resolved, positional data of the animals and determines their orientation relative to the center of the cage or funnel. It was written for the analysis of the orientation behavior of animals of different sizes and tested in diverse cage and funnel designs. The aim of BirdOriTrack is to provide the analytical basis for an inexpensive, simple, and flexible method to study the orientation behavior of migratory birds. The program can be used by anyone wishing to address questions about migratory orientation or dispersal orientation in either indoor or outdoor setups, and does not require special recording paper or specifically designed electronic registration techniques.
Muheim R, Henshaw I, Sjöberg S, Deutschlander ME (2014): BirdOriTrack: a new video-tracking program for orientation research with migratory birds. J. Field Ornithol. 85(1):91-105, 2014 DOI: 10.1111/jofo.12053
The program can be downloaded at: http://canmove.lu.se/birdoritrack