New Mexico

Zombie birds? New Mexico researchers develop wildlife observation drones from dead birds

Published

1 year ago

November 12, 2024

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Zombie birds? New Mexico researchers develop wildlife observation drones from dead birds

The research team at New Mexico Tech has constructed and tested pheasant, mallard duck and pigeon drones and robots. The lead researcher wants them for wildlife monitoring but uses could vary.

Zombie birds are no longer part of post-apocalyptic fiction; they may soon be among us. But in their newfound life, the birds aren’t looking for brains. They’re being used to further wildlife research.

Researchers at the New Mexico Tech Institute of Mining and Technology in Socorro have spent the past two years developing drones and robots from the bodies of dead birds. Still in testing, the animatronic birds may be used to study avian formations, coloration and communication, in addition to other natural ecosystems.

These bird-like drones could solve some issues that wildlife researchers have experienced with traditional drones, said Mostafa Hassanalian, lead researcher and mechanical engineering professor at New Mexico Tech.

“Sometimes, you get a bird strike. The birds attack your drone. Your drone gets damaged and at the same time, the birds get hurt or they might be killed,” Hassanalian said. “Drones carry lots of noise. For example, if you are monitoring a herd of elephants in Africa for wildlife monitoring, they carry lots of noise and the animals would be scared and scatter.”

By creating “nature-inspired robotic systems,” Hassanalian hopes researchers can find more success in studying wildlife.

Here’s what you need to know, including whether the bird drones could be used outside of the animal kingdom.

Different birds for different purposes

Hassanalian and his students have worked with the bodies of three different types of birds throughout their research.

The first is a pheasant. Using a real taxidermy pheasant head and pheasant wings, the research team tested the creation of a drone with flapping wings. The purpose was to create a drone that could more naturally blend in with other pheasants for wildlife monitoring.

The team studied the wings of pheasants, flapping patterns, thrust and lift forces, among other characteristics to create a realistic drone.

The research team has also worked with dead mallard ducks to create two different types of robots − a swimming robot and a flying drone. The latter was designed and tested similarly to the pheasant, while the former required some new research and testing.

Rather than focusing on recreating flapping wings, the focus of the swimming duck robot was recreating feet that accurately replicated a duck’s that can glide through the water and dive down. Similar to airborne birds, the swimming duck robot could be used to monitor aquatic wildlife.

The latest of the research team’s work centers around stationary pigeons.

“They have a camera in the neck and this can basically do real-time video or broadcasting,” Hassanalian told USA TODAY. “Say you go in a national park and you want to study the wildlife and you want to have a stationary platform − there are some drones probably being used for that … You can put one of (these) there (in a tree) with the camera. It’s not distracting to the other birds that are around and then you can basically record the wildlife.”

Ultimately, Hassanalian said he would like to create a bird robot that can fly, swim and perch.

How do other birds react to the drones, robots?

While the research team has conducted meticulous research in order to accurately recreate different birds, in actuality, they don’t yet know how other birds would react to them. So far, the research team has only tested the drones and robots in controlled environments on New Mexico Tech’s campus, Hassanalian said.

“We know there’s a challenge that they might be attacked by other birds, but I mean, that’s a part of nature,” Hassanalian said with a laugh.

Hassanalian said his research team is looking at obtaining permission to fly the drones among real birds in non-simulated environments.

Where do the dead birds come from?

All of the birds that Hassanalian and his team use are naturally dead.

“They have all been ‘taxidermied’ by certified taxidermists. We purchase them and try to play with them,” he said. “We’re not asking a taxidermist to kill a bird and then do the taxidermy and give it to us.”

Surveillance potential

Hassanalian and his research team are only interested in studying the use of their bird-like drones to aid wildlife observation right now, but he recognizes that the technology could be used for surveillance, too.

“For future direction … types of taxidermy bird drones can be integrated for protecting the border,” Hassanalian said. “That’s another potential application. We have not been looking at that, but I’m just talking about the potential application.”

Throughout work on this project, Hassanalian has been made aware of concerns related to security and how the bird-like drones could be used for spying.

Several bird-centric conspiracy theories, like Birds Aren’t Real, have grown in popularity over the years, but Hassanalian said his research isn’t associated with any of them. Gaining traction around the COVID-19 pandemic, Birds Aren’t Real claimed that all real-life birds were replaced with “surveillance drones” in the 20th century. Despite its large following, Birds Aren’t Real was not a real conspiracy, but rather an online joke.

“I wasn’t aware of that conspiracy theory until I did this project,” Hassanalian said. “The possibility of any technology being repurposed in unintended ways is a valid concern. While our research aims to support scientific and environmental initiatives, we recognize that any technology could be misused if it falls into the wrong hands. This is why it is always crucial to have appropriate regulations, ethical guidelines and public dialogue around the development and use of drones.”

When it comes to the bird drones being used for spying, Hassanalian said it is not something he or his research team supports.

What’s next?

In addition to his work with bird drones, Hassanalian is researching the creation and implementation of dandelion-inspired drones to assist in seed dispersal.

“Bees, they are in edangered … they have a very important role in seed dispersals,” he said. “The dandelion drone we are developing, they also can be used for dispersing the seeds and bird drones can actually carry the dandelion drones in much more nature-friendly ways for seed dispersals.”

Though this implementation is still a ways out from being a reality, this research could have an impact on bee endangerment and pollination in the natural world.

Hassanalian said he also has an interest in creating and testing reptile and amphibian drones, such as lizards, frogs and snakes.

This story was updated to correct a spelling error.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

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New Mexico

Lobos rally from 15 down against Alabama State to avoid upset, win 93-87

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3 hours ago

November 27, 2025

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New Mexico

Northern New Mexico Toy Drive set to get underway

Published

21 hours ago

November 26, 2025

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Northern New Mexico Toy Drive set to get underway

Once Thanksgiving wraps up, it’s all Christmas and the Northern New Mexico Toy Drive is all-in.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Christmas is coming and kids are dreaming of all the gifts on their wish list but some families need help to make that happen.

The Northern New Mexico Toy Drive is back for another year. Santa Fe firefighter Rollin’ Tylerr Jones and his family have made this a yearly tradition since 2010. Recently, they’ve stepped up their efforts.

“The Northern New Mexico Toy Drive has been a nonprofit since 2021,” Jones said. “In 2020, when COVID hit, the Santa Fe Fire Department had a hard time with resources and so they approached my real estate brokerage, Exit Realty Advantage New Mexico in Los Alamos, and asked if we would help out.

“So, in 2020, we started running it. Then in 2021, we became the official Northern New Mexico Toy Drive.”

The toy drive has grown since then. They’re aiming to help 10,000 kids – up from 200 in the first years – all across New Mexico, not just northern New Mexico.

“We’re helping groups in the Four Corners, the Navajo Nation, all the way down. We’re helping foster kids in Albuquerque, Mora, Las Vegas,” Jones said.

Jones’ family helps out with sorting toys, going through the Christmas lists and more. You can learn more about the New Mexico Toy Drive in the video above and on their website.

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New Mexico

33 years strong: NM AMP prepares future STEM leaders

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

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33 years strong: NM AMP prepares future STEM leaders

Since its inception 33 years ago, the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Participation has operated with the goal of increasing the number of students who earn science, technology, engineering and mathematics degrees. Twenty-five conferences later, the program remains strong.

NM AMP hosted its annual Student Research Conference in late October, bringing together more than 160 students and faculty from across the state and across the border to celebrate student research and promote STEM careers.

Seven universities from New Mexico are part of the alliance, which is housed at New Mexico State University. However, three community colleges and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, also attend the conference. Along with the university attendees, over 50 students from New Mexico high schools who participate in the NM MESA and TRIO Upward Bound programs also attended this year.

Paola Bandini is the newly appointed director of NM AMP and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NMSU. Bandini said conferences like these help encourage younger students who may not have thought about a STEM career before.

“The conference provides students the opportunity to network with other students and to meet and learn from successful role models,” Bandini said. “Students present their research in a professional setting and received positive feedback from faculty and graduate students who attended the poster session.

“Students also gain confidence in their research and presentation skills as a result of participating in and interacting with peers and other scholars. Younger students, such as high school and community college students, get inspired by their peers who are working on STEM research projects.”

During the research poster presentation session, faculty and graduate students served as judges to select winners for both the community college and university levels.

NMSU student Francis Silva, Willow Cunningham of the University of New Mexico and Riley Morris from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology were recognized for their poster presentations in the university category. In the community college category, Kayden Robey, Lane Porter and Celeste More, all from Doña Ana Community College, were recognized for their research posters.

The conference also featured New Mexico State Rep. Nathan P. Small, who delivered a keynote address during the luncheon session about education and opportunities in the state, and encouraged students to consider STEM education and career paths.

U.S. Rep. Gabe Vasquez also spoke during the luncheon session about the importance of higher education in improving the lives of New Mexicans.

“We are grateful to Rep. Small and U.S. Rep. Vasquez for their strong support of higher education and student success across New Mexico,” said David Jáuregui, interim dean of the College of Engineering. “The state’s commitment helps ensure that students, from high schools to community colleges and universities, have meaningful opportunities to engage in hands-on research and experiential learning. The continued strength of NM AMP shows the significant impact these investments have on our students and our great state.”

NM AMP has been continuously funded by the National Science Foundation for the past 33 years.

The seven universities making up the alliance are NMSU, Eastern New Mexico University, New Mexico Highlands University, NM Tech, Northern New Mexico College, Western New Mexico University and UNM.

Students are supported through a wide range of NM AMP initiatives, including Undergraduate Research Scholars, STEM Pre-Research Exploration Program, the Summer Community College Opportunity for Research Experience, the New Mexico AMP Transfer Stipend, an annual student research conference and community college professional development workshops held alongside the conference.

To get involved with NM AMP and its programs, visit https://nmamp.nmsu.edu/.

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CUTLINE: NMAMP_01: Mariana Navarrete Ovalle, a physics major at New Mexico State University, presents her research project the 2025 NM AMP Research Conference, which took place in October at the NMSU main campus. (NMSU photo by Hanna Muñoz Villalobos)

DESCRIPTION: A girl points at a research poster with text and graphics while two people watch her.

CUTLINE: NMAMP_02: New Mexico State Rep. Nathan P. Small was the keynote speaker for the 2025 NM AMP Research Conference that took place in October at the New Mexico State University main campus. (NMSU photo by Stella Aude)

DESCRIPTION: A man on a stage speaks to an audience of high school and college students sitting at tables.

CUTLINE: NMAMP_03: The 2025 NM AMP Research Conference, which took place in October at the New Mexico State University main campus, featured a poster session where students could network and present their work. (NMSU photo by Hanna Muñoz Villalobos)

DESCRIPTION: In a large room, students present research posters to other students, faculty and staff.

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