Hi Christopher,

Try to check e.g. these two studies:

https://phys.org/news/2018-09-mini-video-cameras-peek-hard-to-observe.html

https://www.jove.com/video/57928/a-video-surveillance-system-to-monitor-breeding-colonies-common-terns

These guys had a water-resistant set-up with battery capacity sufficient up to a week:

Article Parent-absent begging And the risk of nest predation

Nevertheless, for high quality recordings and 24-h surveillance, I guess you will have to improvise a bit, sort of DIY after consulting a skilful electrician.

Best,

Petr

Our lab uses small HD camcorders setup on tripods, with the camera wrapped in a homemade rain-resistant cover (with a hole on the bottom where the tripod connects to the camera). So, its like the camera is wrapped in a tube. The camera is then connected to a powerbank with a USB chord, and the powerbank is inside of a dry bag. This setup lasts us 12 hours of HD footage no problem. Last year we had 20 cameras out filming almost every day for 4 months in humid rainforest and they all survived. The setup is small and mobile and I would often carry 4 to setup at multiple nests in the morning. Here is a picture of a setup (the white rope is not part of it)...

https://i.imgur.com/F7E12Z9.jpg

If you want proof of their ability to film in a downpour, check out this clip...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/idyrc76rxj94quf/WTFA_rain_clip.mp4?dl=0

(the quality doesn't look as good when viewed on dropbox, but you get the idea)

Thank you Petr Procházka . The information is helpful. I will take a close look.

Timothy R. Forrester this is similar to what I had in mind. Can you tell me the make and model camera that is in the picture you provided? I really like the shape and size of the camera and looks easy for wrapping in waterproof material. Thanks.

Christopher Heckscher I believe it is the Canon VIXIA HF R800 Camcorder

Timothy R. Forrester Thanks!!

Hi Christopher- Our camera systems in the Ribic et al. work recorded 48hrs onto digital video recorders. Some considerations are heat and moisture; we had some devices stop recording after excessive heat, although we were working in grasslands with less shade than forest.

Hi Christopher,

I would advise considering using (if possible) a classical surveillance DVR system. There are many pros and cons, of course.

Pros:

1.You can connect as many as 32 cameras.

2. A single twisted pair cable allows for connection of 3 cameras (including power)

3. A cable may be as long as 500m!

4. DVR enables continuous recording or motion detection recording (with pre-record!)

5. our DVR systems proved suprisingly durable (we have used them in humid, dusty and very cold/hot environment for 4 years). When used outdoor, we place it in a garden cupboard (see attached photo)

6. You can choose various cameras, which may be very small and are absolutely silent and are usally equiped with IR illumination.

7. DVR system may be connected to the internet both by wire and by cellular modem, which enables continuous remote monitoring.

8. Such systems may be relatively cheap (even below 300$ for DVR with 4 cameras and a monitor).

Cons:

1. You need a power supply

2. higher risk of theft

Kevin Ellison and Rafał Stryjek very helpful, thanks very much!