Terra contains an internal GPS antenna to determine where it is located. This is used for several purposes:
- Telling our bird identification engine which regional model to use
- Providing the exact location of the Motus receiver for any tags received
- Determining if it is located indoors or outdoors
- Powering the "Our Terra" map, which includes realtime bird identifications as well as Motus tag maps
Because precise location could be considered sensitive data, we provide a range of Geo Privacy Levels to protect the Terra's actual physical location.
By default, we have your Terra set to Geo Privacy Level 3, which places Terra on a 0.003° grid. This averages out to about 300 meters x 300 meters, or, 1000 feet x 1000 feet. This places your Terra within a neighborhood without putting a pin exactly on where the Terra is located.
Sometimes, especially in rural areas, this is simply not enough, which is why we offer higher Geo Privacy Levels. You may even want to contribute to the interest of the community and provide an exact location. You can do this at Geo Privacy Level 0.
Here is a table of the Geo Privacy Levels we offer. We offer 0-10.
Geo Privacy Level | Grid Spacing | Approximate grid size | Example |
0 | None, precise GPS data provided | None, precision of GPS limited | Car sized or smaller |
1 | 0.001 degree grid | 111 meters x 111 meters | ~1 typical city block in many U.S. cities (somewhere between 80–120 m). Could also be the width of a small neighborhood park. |
2 | 0.002 degree grid | 222 meters x 222 meters | | ~2 city blocks. Think of it as a short walk across a small neighborhood. |
|
3 | 0.003 degree grid | 333 meters x 333 meters | ~3–4 city blocks. About the length of several residential streets or a “small neighborhood” in a suburban setting. |
4 | 0.004 degree grid | 444 meters x 444 meters | ~4–5 city blocks. Could be across a medium-sized neighborhood or around half a kilometer. |
5 | 0.005 degree grid | 555 meters x 555 meters | ~5–6 city blocks. A distance you might walk in ~7–8 minutes, enough to cover a moderately sized neighborhood in many urban areas.
|
6 | 0.006 degree grid | 668 meters x 668 meters | ~6–8 city blocks in many U.S. cities, or a ~8-minute walk for most people |
7 | 0.007 degree grid | 780 meters x 780 meters | ~8–10 city blocks, or a ~10-minute walk—enough to cover a large urban neighborhood |
8 | 0.008 degree grid | 890 meters x 890 meters | ~9–11 city blocks, just under 1 km (a bit over ½ mile). A typical walking distance around a small downtown area |
9 | 0.009 degree grid | 1km x 1km | About 1 km (~0.6 miles), which might be 12–15 minutes on foot through a sizeable portion of a residential neighborhood |
10 | 0.01 degree grid | ~1.1km x 1.1km | Highest level, 15 minute walk, multiple city blocks or a full campus |
Note that whichever Geo Privacy Level you select, your Terra still provides exact location to our secure servers in order to help position wildlife tags and provide the best bird identification as possible.
If you wish to completely Opt Out from the "Our Terra" map, even if a half mile by half mile is too much disclosure, please contact customer support.
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