How Thermal Drones Are Helping Save Australia's Greater Gliders

The Greater Glider is listed as endangered. Populations across eastern Australia have declined sharply, and the species now depends heavily on land management, infrastructure planning, and conservation decisions made by government agencies, councils, and ecological consultants. Those decisions need accurate data on where Greater Gliders are present, how many there are, and which trees they reside in.

Thermal drone surveys are increasingly being used to produce that data. Field Master Systems has conducted Greater Glider surveys across Victoria for infrastructure projects, timber harvesting operations, and fuel reduction burn planning. This article covers how the surveys work, what they have delivered on real projects, and what land managers can expect from the methodology.

Why Greater Gliders Are Difficult to Survey

Greater Gliders are nocturnal arboreal mammals that live in the upper canopy of tall eucalypt forests and rely on tree hollows for shelter during the day.

Ground-based spotlighting has been the established method for surveying nocturnal arboreal species. It remains effective in many situations, particularly for targeted surveys. The limitation is coverage. Spotlighting is focused on specific transects, which can make it difficult to build a site-wide picture across larger or more complex environments. Building coverage across a large area on foot can take days or weeks, which increases the rate of error as animals move through the survey area over time.

For ecological assessments where understanding species presence and distribution across an entire site matters (road corridors, harvest coupes, planned burn units, large reserves), that coverage limitation is a real constraint.

How Thermal Drone Surveys Work

Field Master Systems conducts Greater Glider surveys using drones fitted with thermal imaging cameras, high-resolution visual cameras, and LED spotlights. Thermal sensors pick up the heat signature of warm-blooded animals at night, including in vegetated, steep, or otherwise difficult-to-access terrain.

When a thermal detection is made, the visual camera and spotlight confirm the species. Every sighting is timestamped, georeferenced, and recorded with photo and video evidence. The output is a site-wide picture: mapped detection points, species counts, exact locations, and geospatial data ready for GIS and reporting workflows.

For arboreal mammal surveys, drone coverage routinely reaches up to 100 hectares in a single night. Flight height and speed are matched to the target species. For Greater Gliders and other small arboreal mammals, lower and slower flight improves detection rates. More on coverage and efficiency comparisons is covered in the drone wildlife surveys article.

Survey quality depends on planning. Field Master Systems uses pre-planned transect-based collection to achieve systematic, consistent coverage. Detections are reviewed by experienced analysts, with qualified ecologist input for threatened species work.

Greater Glider Surveys on Real Projects

Field Master Systems has conducted Greater Glider surveys across several different operational contexts in Victoria. Three examples show how the data is used in practice.

Threatened Species Surveys for Road Infrastructure, Cardinia Shire Council

Cardinia Shire Council needed accurate species data for a proposed road upgrade corridor before works could proceed. Multiple nocturnal species were expected to be present in roadside vegetation. Ground-based spotlighting could not cover the full corridor efficiently or safely at night.

Field Master Systems surveyed several kilometres of roadside vegetation over several nights using thermal drones. Plenty of native animals were documented with photo, video, and GPS coordinates, including endangered Greater Gliders. Each detection carried a mapped location and photographic record. Cardinia's project ecologists used the data to guide road design directly, identifying habitat trees for protection and developing species management programs referenced throughout the project lifecycle. The full Cardinia Shire threatened species survey case study is on the Field Master Systems site.

Endangered Animal Surveys for Timber Harvesting, VicForests

Timber harvesting operations in native bushland historically required pre-operational fauna assessments to identify and protect endangered species. Field Master Systems conducted endangered animal surveys for VicForests across remote native bushland, with the specific purpose of identifying Greater Glider and Yellow-Belly Glider presence so habitat could be protected from harvesting. The work covered terrain that would have been time-consuming and operationally complex to survey on foot, with verifiable evidence for each detection.

Southern Greater Glider Surveys for Fuel Reduction Burns

Before a fuel reduction burn proceeds, agencies need to understand which endangered species are present in the proposed burn area. Southern Greater Gliders and Yellow-Belly Gliders often inhabit the native forest targeted for burns, and steep remote terrain makes night-time ground surveys operationally risky.

Field Master Systems conducted drone surveys across proposed burn units. In one survey, more than 100 Southern Greater Gliders were positively identified within a 94 hectare area in a single night. Population counts, exact locations, and photographic evidence for each sighting were delivered to the responsible government agency to inform burn decisions and support ongoing species management obligations.

What the Data Looks Like

Every Field Master Systems Greater Glider survey produces outputs built for practical use:

• Timestamped, georeferenced photo and video records of each detection
• Mapped detection points with species and count data
• Geospatial files compatible with GIS and planning workflows
• Summary documentation structured for compliance and reporting

For ecologists referencing the data in environmental impact statements, planning submissions, or species management programs, every detection carries the GPS coordinates, imagery, and flight log context that supports the conclusion.

When Greater Glider Surveys Work Best

Season matters. Thermal surveys perform best in cooler conditions when the contrast between animal heat signatures and ambient temperature is highest. In south-eastern Australia, late autumn through spring is the optimal window for most species. Summer surveys are still possible on cool nights with careful planning.

Flight parameters are adjusted for the target species. Greater Gliders sit in the upper canopy and use tree hollows, which means lower altitude and slower flight produces better detection rates compared to fast, high coverage flights designed for open-terrain feral animal work.

For steep, remote, or hazardous terrain, drones remove the need to physically access survey sites at night, which matters for both safety and survey practicality.

Other Species Detected During a Greater Glider Survey

A thermal drone survey scoped for Greater Gliders will typically also detect other species in the same forest. Field Master Systems drone surveys can detect a wide range of native and introduced species including Greater Gliders, Yellow-Belly Gliders, Feathertail Gliders, Sugar Gliders, Leadbeater's Possums, Koalas, feral cats, feral dogs, pigs, deer, foxes, and rabbits. Species are confirmed using thermal detection combined with a zoom visual camera and LED spotlight where required.

For projects where threatened species presence triggers regulatory obligations, this means a single survey deployment can return data on multiple species at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can thermal drones detect Greater Gliders in tree hollows?

Thermal imaging can detect heat signatures at hollow entrances when animals are present near the opening. Detection of animals fully inside deep hollows is limited by the insulating effect of the tree. Field Master Systems can discuss the capabilities and limitations for specific target species and hollow types when scoping a survey.

What flight parameters does Field Master Systems use for Greater Glider surveys?

Flight height and speed are matched to the target species. For small arboreal mammals such as Greater Gliders, lower and slower flight improves detection accuracy compared to higher, faster survey patterns used for open-terrain work. Every survey methodology is designed around the target species to maximise detection rates.

How much do Greater Glider surveys cost and how are they scoped?

Survey costs depend on site size, terrain, location, and reporting requirements. Field Master Systems scopes each survey around the specific project objectives, calculating time based on area, access, and methodology. Get in touch to discuss your requirements and receive a scoping estimate.

Do drones disturb Greater Gliders during surveys?

Most animals do not show significant behavioural change when a drone is observing from survey altitude. For more sensitive species, Field Master Systems maintains appropriate distances to minimise disturbance. Non-invasive surveying is a core part of the methodology on every mission.

Does Field Master Systems work on Greater Glider surveys outside Victoria?

Field Master Systems is based in Victoria and works with government agencies, land managers, ecological consultants, and conservation organisations across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. Get in touch to discuss survey requirements for your location.

Supporting Greater Glider Conservation

Decisions made over the next decade about habitat protection, land use, and infrastructure planning will shape Greater Glider populations. Those decisions are stronger when they are anchored to site-wide species data with mapped locations, photographic evidence, and structured reporting.

To discuss a Greater Glider or threatened species survey, contact the Field Master Systems team or see the animal surveys service page for more on the methodology.

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