Samsung Electronics Helps the Smithsonian’s National Zoo Bring the Black-Crowned Night Herons’ Amazing Migration Experience to Life

One spring in the late 1800’s, a wild flock of black-crowned night herons first descended onto what is now the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. There they found sanctuary and roosted for the summer. And they’ve been returning annually ever since.

These unique birds, nearly hunted to extinction at the turn of the 20^th century, are the only known breeding colony of its kind in the entire Mid-Atlantic region, making their migration truly remarkable.

Following the breeding season, however, their whereabouts have largely remained a mystery, making it difficult to protect them. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo, along with its Migratory Bird Center, has taken this challenge as an opportunity for new research, conservation and public education at large. They’ve made exciting strides in tracking the herons’ migration patterns, and now Samsung is providing technology to help engage people in the migration experience in a more meaningful way.

The migration patterns of the black-crowned night herons tagged with satellite transmitters in August 2013 [Map Credit: Amy Scarpignato]

A few years ago, Zoo ornithology experts began identifying innovative technologies that could help improve the tracking accuracy of these bird migrations. In particular, the Zoo experimented with satellite transmitters light enough for the herons to carry without disrupting their movements. This enabled satellites to pick up the transmitter signals and pinpoint their locations on an almost daily basis. Thanks to this technology, the Zoo has been able to collect data that reveals the majority of tagged herons fly to Florida for the winter, even as far as The Everglades — nearly 1,100 miles from Washington, D.C.!

Building upon the Zoo’s initiative to use new technologies that help build their body of knowledge and improve public engagement and wildlife preservation, Samsung was honored to be formally recognized as a Technology Advisor to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute this summer. Through Samsung’s donation of cameras and display monitors, as well as software design expertise, the Zoo will be able to offer a more immersive way for the public to learn and engage with the bird experience, including the remarkable migration journey that the herons make each year.

To celebrate the launch of this partnership, Samsung Electronics hosted an event at the National Zoo’s Bird House to showcase the initiative and next step of the heron project: the Black-Crowned Night Heron 360° Camera. A video compilation of this year’s flock at the National Zoo is now available on their website.

You can also watch this recorded content on Samsung Gear VR. Simply download the Samsung Milk VR app from the Gear VR store and go to the Gear Indie channel in Samsung Milk VR.

Online visitors to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo website can access a panoramic view of nesting herons at the Zoo in Washington, D.C. by placing a cursor and literally turning the view 360 degrees.

Beyond the 360° heron camera, Samsung is also working closely with the Zoo to provide expertise, technology solutions and support on select projects such as the renovation plan to transform the Zoo’s 1928 Bird House and surrounding plateau into an Experience Migration Exhibit – an interactive, educational facility scheduled to open in 2019. As a member of the design team, Samsung is exploring cutting-edge technologies that will make the Experience Migration exhibit the first-of-its-kind where visitors can immerse themselves into the incredible journeys of various birds via a walk-through migration tour that will feature digital education tools.

As Samsung continues to expand its partnership with the National Zoo in the months ahead, we hope you will visit the Zoo in Washington, D.C., to experience the migration for yourself. In the meantime, please click here to learn more about the Night Heron Bird Migration Project and the black-crowned night herons.