What method should scientists use to track tundra swans migrating from Virginia?

Using capture and banding is a highly effective method for tracking tundra swans migrating from Virginia. This technique involves catching individual birds and placing a leg band on them that contains a unique identification number. When these birds are subsequently recaptured or observed, scientists can gather valuable data on their migration patterns, behaviors, and survival rates.

This method allows for direct observation of each bird's movements and provides information on their migratory routes, stopover sites, and breeding locations. Additionally, banding can contribute to the understanding of population dynamics and help inform conservation strategies.

While other methods such as satellite imaging could provide some general information about bird movements, capture and banding offers detailed individual tracking that is indispensable for comprehensive studies of migration behavior and ecology. Visual observations alone lack the precision needed for detailed tracking, and audiovisual recordings do not typically capture the movements of the birds over time in the same manner that captured data does.