Motus stations are automated, stationary radio telemetry systems designed to listen for animals tagged with special radio transmitters.

KDFWR has already installed 8 stations in Kentucky with two more on the way- adding to 1800 stations in 34 countries that currently gathering information for researchers across the globe. Our team is tagging wood thrush and field sparrows with motus-detectable radio-transmitters as part of ongoing research projects to learn more about these common species in decline.

North America’s largest salamander, the eastern hellbender, was recently proposed for listing as a federally endangered species.

As part of a regional captive breeding partnership, scientists at Kentucky’s Center for Mollusk Conservation are raising hellbenders hatched from eggs collected from a wild nest. These juveniles will eventually be released back into the Licking River system to help boost population numbers.

Camera "trapping" is an increasingly popular approach to monitor secretive, or hard to detect species.

In collaboration with the Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves and the Louisville Zoo, we’re using cameras to capture images of Allegheny woodrat, a species of greatest conservation need in Kentucky’s Wildlife Action Plan.

Despite plentiful habitat in Kentucky’s pastures, hayfields, and restored grassland, the barn owl is a rare species in our state.

Scarcity of the species is thought to be a combination of habitat loss, vehicle collisions, predation, pesticides, and limited nest site availability. Biologists conduct intensive nest site surveys every three years, with the next survey slated for 2026.