roostR: An R package to examine diel activity patterns from Motus radio telemetry data
- 1Ohio University
Abstract
1. Monitoring the diel activity patterns of free-living animals is a methodological challenge. Signal strength fluctuations from Very High Frequency (VHF) radio transmitters deployed within the Motus Wildlife Tracking System can be used as a proxy for activity. However, analytical tools to extract behavioral metrics that quantify activity patterns from these data are needed. 2. We developed roostR, an open-source R package that converts Motus detection data into quantitative behavioral metrics, including roost initiation and departure, roost duration, observation time, and restlessness. The package uses a sequential pipeline built around signal volatility and rolling medians to detect transitions between active and inactive states. Default parameter values were tuned using data from 55 dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) overwintering in southeastern Ohio. 3. We provide an example from a dark-eyed junco over a 58-day period. roostR estimated roost onset on 48 nights and departure on 56 mornings, with higher rolling median signal differences during the day than at night, consistent with a diurnal animal, and variable restlessness periods each night. We also used the package to estimate roost behavior of an American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) over 43-nights. 4. roostR enables researchers to extract individual activity data from Motus datasets. Because all thresholds are user-adjustable, the pipeline is adaptable across species, tag specifications, and ecological contexts, enabling researchers to test hypotheses about how environmental factors influence diel activity patterns.
Related
- Green turtle satellite telemetry: identifying spatial movements, residency patterns, and habitat associations in Aotearoa New Zealand
- GPS telemetry reveals changes in the movement patterns of a cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) flying over an active war zone
- TensorPLS: an R package for exploring molecular and temporal patterns in longitudinal omics data using PLS-DA
- Methods to examine complement activation by HIT immune complexes
- Changes in wildlife activity patterns in response to war in Ukraine
BibTeX
@misc{williams2026roostr,
title = {{roostR: An R package to examine diel activity patterns from Motus radio telemetry data}},
author = {K. A. Williams and J. E. Morgan and S. M. Lyons},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.10.750597},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750597v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - roostR: An R package to examine diel activity patterns from Motus radio telemetry data
AU - K. A. Williams
AU - J. E. Morgan
AU - S. M. Lyons
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/10
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.10.750597
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.10.750597v1
AB - 1. Monitoring the diel activity patterns of free-living animals is a methodological challenge. Signal strength fluctuations from Very High Frequency (VHF) radio transmitters deployed within the Motus Wildlife Tracking System can be used as a proxy for activity. However, analytical tools to extract behavioral metrics that quantify activity patterns from these data are needed. 2. We developed roostR, an open-source R package that converts Motus detection data into quantitative behavioral metrics, including roost initiation and departure, roost duration, observation time, and restlessness. The package uses a sequential pipeline built around signal volatility and rolling medians to detect transitions between active and inactive states. Default parameter values were tuned using data from 55 dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) overwintering in southeastern Ohio. 3. We provide an example from a dark-eyed junco over a 58-day period. roostR estimated roost onset on 48 nights and departure on 56 mornings, with higher rolling median signal differences during the day than at night, consistent with a diurnal animal, and variable restlessness periods each night. We also used the package to estimate roost behavior of an American tree sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) over 43-nights. 4. roostR enables researchers to extract individual activity data from Motus datasets. Because all thresholds are user-adjustable, the pipeline is adaptable across species, tag specifications, and ecological contexts, enabling researchers to test hypotheses about how environmental factors influence diel activity patterns.
ER -