A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns (Sterna Hirundo)
July 22nd, 2018
This paper describes a protocol that uses a remote video monitoring surveillance system to continuously monitor breeding colonies of ground-nesting waterbirds. The system includes five cameras monitoring individual nests and one camera monitoring the colony as a whole, and is powered by car batteries that are recharged via solar panels.
This surveillance system enables ornithologists to answer key questions related to nesting behavior such as nest attentiveness and the impacts of predation. The main advantage of this technique is that it allows for intensive monitoring of colonies while reducing disturbance levels that may otherwise have negatively impacted them. To begin, label four solar panels C1, DVR1, DVR2, and DVR3.
For panels C1 and DVR2, use winged wire connectors to attach one set of four foot positive and negative wires to the respective positive and negative ends of the panels. Then cap the open ends of the wires with additional winged wire connectors. For panel DVR1, use winged wire connectors to attach two sets of four foot positive and negative wires to the respective positive and negative ends of the panel.
Then cap the open ends of the wires with additional winged wire connectors. Tape all of the loose wires to the backs of the panels for ease to transport. Next, attach a charge controller to two 18 gallon plastic bins as specified in the text protocol.
Label one of the bins camera system and the other DVR system. Next, loosen the battery positive and battery negative screws on the charge controller in the camera system bin and slide the soldered end of each wire into the left side of its corresponding slot. Tighten the screws and ensure that both wires are secure.
Then repeat this process for the charge controller in the DVR system bin. In the DVR system bin, attach a 12-volt male DC adapter to the charge controller by loosening the load positive and load negative screws and sliding the corresponding positive and negative wires into the left sides of each slot. Then tape the loose wires to the plastic box for transport.
Repeat this process with the two male DC power plugs in the camera system bin. Then connect two four-port DC power splitters to the male DC power plugs in the camera system bin. Repeat this process with the male DC power plugs in the DVR system bin.
First, place solar panel C1 on a sawhorse at the designated camera system location. Then place panels DVR1, two, and three in order on three sawhorses at the designated DVR system location. To prevent sliding, drive two six-inch nails into the ground in front of each solar panel.
Then drive two six-inch tent stakes into the ground at a 45 degree angle from the back of the solar panels. Secure the loose ends of rope from the backs of the solar panels to the stakes. Next, position four 12-volt dry cell AGM car batteries in a two by two fashion.
Attach one 3/8 inch ring terminal from the positive two foot wire to the positive battery terminal on the bottom right battery. Then attach the other 3/8 inch ring terminal to the positive battery terminal on the top right battery. Repeat these steps with the 5/16 inch ring terminal from the negative battery terminals on both right batteries.
Next, attach one 3/8 inch ring terminal from the positive two foot wires to the positive battery terminals on the top left and bottom left batteries. Then repeat this step with the 5/16 inch ring terminal from the negative wire to the negative battery terminals on both left batteries. Attach the one side soldered/one side ring terminal wire from the charge controller to a positive battery terminal.
Then attach the negative to the negative battery terminal of a different battery. To connect the solar panel wires to the charge controller, attach one positive and one negative wire from DVR2 to the respective positive and negative wires on DVR3. Then attach one positive and one negative wire from DVR1 to DVR2 and attach the remaining wires from DVR1 to the charge controller in the DVR system bin.
Next, place the plywood attached to the DVR over the car batteries in the DVR system bin and tape each receiver to the DVR system bin as specified in the text protocol. Connect the female DC power plug on each receiver to each of the male DC power plugs on the two four-port DC power splitters. Then connect one of the male DC power plugs to the port labeled DC 12 volts on the DVR.
Secure the remaining male DC power plug with weather-proof electrical tape. Next, connect the yellow B and C on each receiver to six of the eight ports labeled video in on the DVR. Then connect the 12-volt male DC adapter from the charge controller to the yellow AV port on the display monitor.
Connect the HDMI cable from the display monitor to the HDMI port on the DVR. Then press the power buttons on the DVR and the display monitor and program the settings. To attach the cameras to the surveillance system, connect a B and C extension cable from each camera to the four-port DC power splitters in the camera system bin.
Finally, check the display monitor to view the live footage. Ensure the video is clear and make adjustments to the camera placement if necessary. The implementation of this camera monitoring system resulted in the collection of 3, 120 hours of footage from eight nests and 504 hours of footage from one colony camera.
Out of these combined 3, 624 hours of data, 83%of the footage contained usable high-quality data. This technique helps pave the way for ornithologists and management communities to improve data collection and monitoring of target species in a minimally invasive manner, reducing the impacts monitoring efforts have on the species we aim to research and protect.
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Overview
This article presents a minimally invasive surveillance protocol for monitoring the nesting behavior of common terns (Sterna hirundo) in ground-nesting colonies. The system employs wireless cameras powered by solar-charged batteries, enabling continuous behavioral observation without disturbing the birds. The protocol is designed to maximize data collection while minimizing human impact, and can be adapted for other colonial nesting species.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Ornithology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Wildlife Monitoring
Background
- Many waterbird populations, including the common tern, have experienced significant declines.
- Traditional monitoring methods often require entering colonies, which can disturb nesting birds.
- There is a need for less disruptive, continuous monitoring techniques.
- Video surveillance offers a potential solution for long-term behavioral studies.
Purpose of Study
- To develop and demonstrate a minimally invasive video surveillance system for monitoring common tern nesting behavior.
- To reduce disturbance to nesting colonies during data collection.
- To provide a protocol adaptable to various nesting scenarios and species.
Methods Used
- Assembly of a solar-powered surveillance system using wireless cameras and digital video recorders (DVRs).
- Strategic placement of cameras on individual nests and over the colony.
- Use of 12 V car batteries recharged by solar panels to power the system.
- Continuous video recording with footage stored on hard drives for later analysis.
Main Results
- Collected 3,120 hours of footage from eight nests and 504 hours from a colony camera, totaling 3,624 hours over 63 days.
- 83% (3,006 hours) of the footage was usable for behavioral analysis.
- The system enabled detection of external disturbances and detailed measurement of nesting behavior during incubation.
- Effective operation was maintained across a range of weather conditions (12.8°C to 35.0°C).
Conclusions
- The surveillance protocol allows intensive, minimally invasive monitoring of waterbird colonies.
- It reduces disturbance compared to traditional monitoring methods.
- The system is adaptable for other colonial nesting species and research scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Executive Industry Relevance
Continuous, minimally invasive video surveillance enables high-fidelity behavioral data collection in sensitive biological systems, supporting robust hypothesis testing and reducing confounding disturbance effects. For biopharma R&D, such non-disruptive monitoring platforms can inform translational model development and enhance predictive confidence in preclinical behavioral endpoints. This approach strengthens data integrity at critical discovery and validation inflection points.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Enables precise behavioral endpoint measurement for hypothesis-driven studies.
- Reduces environmental and procedural confounders, supporting mechanistic de-risking.
- Facilitates longitudinal observation for functional target validation.
Screening & Assay Development
- Provides standardized, reproducible video data for downstream quantitative analysis.
- Supports development of automated behavioral scoring assays.
- Enables scalable monitoring across multiple experimental groups or conditions.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Aligns behavioral monitoring with disease-relevant endpoints in animal models.
- Supports continuity from discovery through preclinical validation by minimizing intervention artifacts.
- Improves risk-adjusted advancement decisions through robust, minimally biased data streams.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
This surveillance system integrates at the interface of discovery biology and preclinical model validation, enabling continuous data capture from early hypothesis testing through translational research.
- Discovery Biology: Supports null hypothesis testing and pathway clarification by enabling undisturbed behavioral observation.
- Screening: Delivers reproducible, quantitative video outputs suitable for assay development and compound evaluation.
- Analytics: Provides high-volume, timestamped footage for statistical comparison of experimental conditions.
- Translational Research: Maintains data continuity and minimizes bias in preclinical behavioral endpoints.
- Enterprise Reuse: Adaptable platform for diverse species and experimental scenarios, supporting broad R&D utility.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Increases predictive confidence and reduces mechanistic ambiguity in behavioral studies.
- Operational Value: Standardizes data collection and enhances reproducibility across studies.
- Strategic Value: Enables better go/no-go decisions by providing high-quality, minimally confounded data.
- Portfolio Impact: Supports risk-adjusted prioritization and advancement of translational models.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in behavioral analysis and video data management.
- Needs reliable power infrastructure and environmental resilience for field deployment.
- Demands cross-team agreement on data standards and scoring criteria.
- Adaptable to various model systems with appropriate camera and power modifications.
- Data quality may be affected by environmental conditions and equipment placement.
