Environmental conditions, UAS treatment details, R script, and Turkey Vulture response data to two UAS angles of approach

Metadata:

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:

Overview_Description:

Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

Below you will find a list and description of the files included in this data publication.

VARIABLE DESCRIPTION FILE (1)

1. \Data\_variable_descriptions.csv: Comma-separated values (CSV) file containing a list and description of variables found in all data files. (A description of these variables is also provided in the metadata below.)

Columns include:

Filename = name of data file
Variable = name of variable
Units = units (if applicable)
Precision = precision (if applicable)
Description = description of variable


DATA FILES (6)

1. \Data\QA3477Data.csv: CSV file containing environmental conditions associated with 05 July 2022 through 26 July 2022 unoccupied aircraft system (UAS) trials and Turkey Vulture responses to UAS approaches.

Variables include:

RunNo = Run/Flight number

Observer = Initials of the observer(s)

PIC = Pilot-in-command

Date = Date of trial (mm.dd.yyyy)

Treatment = Categorical treatment of UAS approach (same level = 0 degree approach, stoop = 20 degree descent from 50 meters away)

IncludeOrNot = Binary variable categorizing if we were able to apply the treatment (1 = yes, 0 = no)

beforeTUVU = Number of Turkey Vultures present on the ground in the study area before the treatment

beforeHERG = Number of Herring Gulls present on the ground in the study area before the treatment

beforeRBGU = Number of Ring-billed Gulls present on the ground in the study area before the treatment

StartDistance = Distance between the focal Turkey Vulture and the launch site of the UAS (meters)

MotorsStart = Time the UAS motors started rotating the propellers (hh:mm)

ForwardStart = Number of seconds prior to the UAS started forward motion

RawEscapeTime = Number of seconds since launch that the turkey vulture reacted with escape

Reaction1 = Categorical behavioral reaction of the target Turkey Vulture (Left =vulture left the landfill, Other = vulture moved because of outside influences, Other/Left =the vulture’s initial response was unrelated to the UAS and then it left the landfill in response to the UAS, Relocated = vulture relocated to another part of the landfill, Side step = vulture moved out of the way of the UAS, but remained in the same area)

FirstApproachOrNot = Binary variable categorizing if the Turkey Vulture reacted with escape on the first approach (1 = yes, 0 = no, NA = not applicable)

MotorsStop = Time the UAS motors stopped rotating the propellers (mm:ss)

afterTUVU = Number of Turkey Vultures present on the ground in the study area after the treatment

afterHERG = Number of Herring Gulls present on the ground in the study area after the treatment

afterRBGU = Number of Ring-billed Gulls present on the ground in the study area after the treatment

WindDir = Cardinal direction average wind direction (N = north, E = east, S = south, W = west)

WindDirNo = Wind direction at the study site for an UAS treatment in degrees of a circle (0-360)

WindSpeedmps = Wind speed at the study site for an UAS treatment (meters/second [m/s])

TempC = Temperature at the study site for an UAS treatment (degrees Celsius)

AmbLight = 15 second ambient light intensity in micromole meters per second ([µmol m/s])

Weather = Categorical weather. (Sunny, Partly cloudy = 25% - 50 % cloudy cover, Cloudy = >50% )

Comments = General notes about each treatment (acronyms used: TUVU = Turkey Vulture, AMCR = American Crow, BAEA = Bald Eagle, JLH = Josh L. Hoblet, HERG = Herring Gull, RBGU = Ring-billed Gull, BLVU = Black Vultures, SD = start distance between the UAS and vulture prior to launch, UAS = unoccupied aircraft system)


2. \Data\SoundAngleofApproach.csv: CSV file containing sound (dB) readings from surrogate UAS flights on 10 August 2022 after the completion of the animal behavior portion of the experiment.

Variables include:

flight = Flight number

treatment = Categorical treatment of UAS approach (same level = 0 degree approach, stoop = 20 degree descent from 50 meters away)

include = Binary variable categorizing if we achieved a direct approach (1 = yes, 0 = no)

total.time = Total amount of time that elapsed from the start and stop of the sound measurement (seconds)

time.stop = When the sound measurement stop (seconds)

loudest = Loudest sound recorded during the UAS approach (decibels [dB])

9.sec = Sound reading 1 second before the loudest reading (dB)

8.sec = Sound reading 2 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

7.sec = Sound reading 3 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

6.sec = Sound reading 4 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

5.sec = Sound reading 5 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

4.sec = Sound reading 6 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

3.sec = Sound reading 7 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

2.sec = Sound reading 8 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

1.sec = Sound reading 9 seconds before the loudest reading (dB)

time.start = Time the sound measurement started (seconds)

difference = Difference in seconds between when the sound measurement started and stopped

average = Average sound reading over the 9 second period before the loudest reading (dB)


3. \Data\TUVU_WS_AWHP_Survey123_Data_Request.csv: CSV file containing Wildlife Services’ Airport Wildlife Hazard Program’s January-December 2021 survey data from over 110 airports.

Variables include:

objectid = Wildlife Services internal object ID for the airport survey

survey_dat = Date of bird survey (mm/dd/yyyy)

airport = Airport ID of where the survey was conducted

survey_typ = Type of survey (Continual_Monitoring, Wildlife_Hazard_Assessment, Wildlife_Hazard_Site_Evaluation, Wildlife_Hazard_Site_Visit)

animal_spe = Animal species observed (VULTURE TURKEY)

number_obs = Number of the species observed on the survey

animal_act = Activity the animal was engaging in during the survey. (The following were considered non-flying activities: drinking, loafing, perching, roosting, standing. The following were considered flying activities: flying_local, flying_passing, foraging, hovering, migrating, soaring/towering.)


4. \Data\UASAngleTreatments.csv: CSV file containing 05 July 2022 through 25 July 2022 UAS flight data collected from observing the flight tracks in Google Earth.

Variables include:

Run.No = Run/Flight number

treatment = Categorical treatment of UAS approach (same level = 0 degree approach, stoop = 20 degree descent from 50 meters away)

date = Date of trial (mm.dd.yyyy)

time = Time of trial (hh:mm)

ground.elevation.ft = Elevation of the ground at UAS launch (feet [ft])

forward.elevation.ft = Elevation of the ground when the UAS started going forward (feet)

altitude.ft = Highest altitude of the UAS trial (ft)

altitude.m = Highest altitude of the UAS trial (meters [m])

degree = Angle of the UAS path towards the target vulture (degree)

start.of.descent.distance.ft = Distance from launch when the UAS started the descent for stoop approaches (ft)

end.of.descent.distance.ft = Distance from the launch when the UAS finished the descent for stoop approaches (ft)

distance.in.descent.ft = Total distance the UAS was in descent for stoop approaches (ft)

distance.in.descent.m = Total distance the UAS was in descent for stoop approaches (m)


5. \Data\UASlogs.csv: CSV file containing 05 July 2022 through 26 July 2022 data on the UAS flights and their association with the trials against Turkey Vultures.

Variables include:

Date = Date of trial (mm.dd.yyyy)

MotorsStart = Time the UAS motors started rotating the propellers (hh:mm)

RunNo = Run/Flight number

Treatment = Categorical treatment of UAS approach (same level = 0 degree approach, stoop = 20 degree descent from 50 meters away)

ForwardStart = Binary variable categorizing when the UAS started to move forward based on the RC throttle and RC elevator (1 = forward motion started, 0 = forward motion has not started or it already has)

EscapeLeft = Binary variable categorizing when the focal turkey vulture reacted with escape from the UAS (1 = turkey vulture escaped from the UAS, 0 = turkey vulture has not reacted with escape or already has)

TimeMillisecond = Time in milliseconds since motors have started

DatetimeUTC = Date of trial and time in UTC (mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm)

Latitude = Latitude of the UAS at that time (decimal degrees)

Longitude = Longitude of the UAS at that time (decimal degrees)

HeightAboveTakeoffFT = Height of the UAS in relation to the launch point (ft)

HeightAboveGroundAtDroneLocation.ft = Height of the UAS in relation to the ground it is flying over (ft)

GroundElevationAtDroneLocation.ft = Elevation of the ground at the location of the UAS (ft)

AltitudeAboveSeaLevel.ft = Altitude above sea level at the location of the UAS (ft)

SpeedMph = Speed of the UAS at that time (miles per hour [mph])

Distance.ft = Distance of the UAS from the launch point (ft)

XSpeedMph = UAS speed on the horizontal plane (mph)

RcElevatorPercent = Percent of the elevator of the UAS engaged to achieve a horizontal flight forward

RcThrottlePercent = Percent of the throttle of the UAS engaged to achieve a vertical flight up


6. \Data\Wildlife_Export_4252024.csv: CSV file containing reported Turkey Vulture aircraft collisions to the National Wildlife Strike Database between the years of 2009-2022.

Variables include:

INDX_NR = Wildlife Strike Database internal record number

INCIDENT_DATE = Date of the turkey vulture-aircraft collisions

AIRPORT_ID = Airport ID of where the collision occurred

AIRPORT = Name of airport where the collision occurred

RUNWAY = Identification of the runway on the airport where the collision occurred

HEIGHT = Height above ground level where the collision occurred (ft)

SPECIES_ID = Wildlife Strike Database internal bird species code

SPECIES = Bird species involved in the collision (Turkey vulture)

REMARKS = Comments on the collision



SUPPLEMENTAL FILES (1)

1. \Supplements\UAS_angle_of_approach_escape_response.R: Text file containing R code that imports, modifies, and graphs data as provided in Pfeiffer et al. (2025).

Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

Pfeiffer, Morgan B.; Hoblet, Joshua L.; Blackwell, Bradley F.; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban. 2025. Preliminary effects of UAS angle of approach on escape responses of a large-bodied raptor. Drone Systems and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1139/dsa-2024-0047

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20250407

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Research Center

Contact_Person: Morgan B. Pfeiffer

Contact_Position: Research Wildlife Biologist

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: mailing and physical

Address: 6100 Columbus Ave.

City: Sandusky

State_or_Province: OH

Postal_Code: 44870

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: 419-202-3501

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: morgan.b.pfeiffer@usda.gov

Contact Instructions: This contact information was current as of original publication date. For current information see Contact Us page on: https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS.

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001.1-1999