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Ron Efrat

@moveandconserve.bsky.social
1K followers 452 following 144 posts

Conservation*Movement Ecology. Postdoc, Max Planck Inst. of Animal Behavior. Soaring, running, swimming, if it moves and can carry a GPS tag, I'm in.

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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Want to *see* a paper in 1:18 minutes? Our paper is in the latest issue of @ecol-evol.bsky.social so I thought I'll see how Gemini understands it. I would say the result is 85% accurate, but very enjoyable! What do you think? Full paper here: dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3... 🧪🌎 #AIslop
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
I want to know more! What am I seeing? Quiet wind turbines? @yaelbird.bsky.social
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
To whom? The journal? How do you even do that?
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Should I? Do I really want to be that guy? Or is not doing it worse?.. I really don't know. Thanks for replying anyway :)
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A call for academic advice: A paper I reviewed was rejected following multiple critical problems that were flagged by me and a second reviewer. A couple of months pass, and I see the same paper, with minor edits, published in another journal (you can guess the publisher). What would you do? 🧪🌎
static.klipy.com
Eric Cartman: What Would You Guys Have Me Do?
ALT: Eric Cartman: What Would You Guys Have Me Do?
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
And finally - we show that
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We couldn't have done this without many many people who helped. This is how these things usually work. I will not write names to not forget anyone, but there were many! Some hosted us, some joined the long trapping nights, some gave advice, some gave motivation and so much more. THANK YOU!
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
So, do mammals reduce their movement when they are closer to human habitats? It seems that this is the rule over large scales. At smaller scales, visiting resource-reach human habitats can increase movement and the associated energy and risk. More details in our publication (see above).
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
But do they really travel more? Yes! On nights without visits to human habitats, all foxes moved the same distances and had the same home-range size. But when visiting - the further they lived from human habitat, the more they increased their movements - again, up to a threefold increase!
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We found weak evidence for environmental effects. We found a strong effect of the required energy expenditure - a threefold increase in the distance they have to travel leads to a threefold decrease in the rates of visiting human habitats.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Why? Human habitats have, first of all, humans... They shoot, they drive cars, and they are loud - every reason to stay away. Increased resources also mean increased competition - with other foxes, and with larger carnivores like Jackals. So, how do they decide to take these risks?
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We set to study red foxes living in agriculture areas and villages in an extreme desert. We found that they don't live there, they only visit! Home-ranges were almost completely in natural habitat (continues lines - territorial foxes, dashed - non-territorial, colored areas- human habitat).
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Human habitat makes foxes move more! Wait, what? But I thought that mammals move less with increased human footprint. Well, it is probably a matter of scale - a thread about our new publication in @ecol-evol.bsky.social: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/NMFBDQ... @odedberger-tal.bsky.social 🐾🧪🌎
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Use of Human Habitat in an Extreme Desert by the Generalist Red Fox: Risk and Energy Considerations
Reader environment loaded
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
As an ornithologist, I can confidently say that this one beautiful bird! (Pale Tussock, if my googling was right)
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Back in the office (since Monday, but too many emails). A huge thank you to the organizers @isbe2026.bsky.social and all participants. I heard some amazing talks about exciting research. And thanks Italy for the food, the scenery (see photo, enabled thanks to the conf daycare!) and the people.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Are you at #ISBE2026 ? Today, 10:45, room Rome. Come hear about how #experience shapes the response to #anthropogenic pressures in a #migratory endangered eagle. Featuring: multi-year GPS tracking, integrated Step Selection, HMM, and lots of fun!
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
Family stopover ecology along the migratory route to #ISBE2026 - storks in Liechtenstein and beautiful scenery in Switzerland. @yaelbird.bsky.social
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
2016: an entire week to create and record an animation from GPS data. 2026: 2 minutes with an LLM to write a script that downloads my data and creates the animation, 10 more minutes to make it exactly as I want. #ISBE2026 #movementecology #biologging #AI 🧪🐾🪶🌎
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
@isbe2026.bsky.social is only a week away! Time to get back on @bsky.app 😅 Who am I meeting there? What talks should I not miss? Here is a teaser for my talk 🪶🐾🧪🌎 #conservation #movementecology #ornithology #animalbehavior #migration
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Do vote for the Egyptian vulture project! There are so many reasons why. Here is just one: this project, with the amazing people running it, was able to stabilize the population of this amazing species, years before it disappeared from the area. 🪶
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
This new format makes the review invitation feel much less personal and much less appealing. I almost deleted it because I thought it is another Wiley spam. @bou.org.uk 🧪🌎🪶
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Movebank @movebank.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
📢 Update: We’ve extended our survey deadline! During 2026, we will undertake a major renewal of the Movebank system. Help us build a more scalable, sustainable database for your projects. Your feedback will directly shape the future of Movebank. Survey: survey.academiccloud.de/f/221856?lan...
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Who made these stickers, and why don't I have them yet??
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
I canceled my spam and junk folders after I missed an email approving funding for my research about 8 years ago..
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
There's a journal I really like and I was even lucky to publish in it. But, something in the publishing process there is wrong. Me and others had bad experiences, and here is an example from a recent publication. What can I do? Contact someone? Name them here on Bsky? 🧪🌎
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
To whom? And how will it help?
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
Of course, I would love to participate in your very real conference that you so kindly sent me an invitation to. The fact that it is happening next week and you are still looking for key-note speakers is completely normal, and so are your highlights. How do you stop these #academic_spam emails? 🧪🌎
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Would have been really interesting if that was the real result of the SDM.. Luckily, it was just a small mistake in my R code.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
"To continue protecting birds in an age of chaos is an act of defiance against cynicism" An important and very relevant opinion: theornithologist.org/in-defence-o... 🪶🌎 #ornithology #conservation
theornithologist.org
In Defence of Bird Conservation in a Broken World
In a world torn by wars and crises, bird conservation can seem irrelevant. Yet to protect life itself is not indulgence – it’s resistance.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
This is how you connect people to nature through science. Well done @theguardian.com ! 🧪🪶🌎🐾 #ornithology #conservation #movementecology www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Bird migration is changing. What does this reveal about our planet? – visualised
Bird migrations rank as one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Thanks to GPS tracking, scientists are uncovering extraordinary insights into ancient and mysterious journeys – and new threats that are re...
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Still there on Sep 30th (reported on FB)
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
She was inspiring. She really made a difference. And she really believed in mankind. RIP Jane Goodall, may we have the power to take the inspiration you gave us and keep fighting the fight for nature and mankind.
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Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · 02/10/2025
“It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.” ― Jane Goodall 💙 RIP to a real one. My childhood hero
Jane Goodall with monarch butterfly scarf
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Jeroen Reneerkens @jeroen-reneerkens.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
A vagrant juvenile Sanderling turned up in Israel—likely after a single non-stop flight from the Dutch Wadden Sea. Here’s thread explaining why that’s remarkable and interesting. @wadertales.bsky.social @globalflyway.bsky.social #Birds #Migration
The colour-marked Sanderling photographed in Israel, still carrying its radiotransmitter
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Is it really? Do you really think that double blind is meant for the student who's first author? I think that it is usually more about the last author or the group.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
I think that it depends on the types of corrections - is it potentially wrong or misleading? I say raise these issues until the editor makes their decision. But if it is "this could have been better", than in my opinion that might be beyond the referee's job, especially in the second round.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Officially yes, but working with animals as study species, it is almost impossible to really hide who the involved study groups are. I know who is working on species X in area Y, so what you mentioned will only mean that I do not know who exactly the authors from these groups are.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Just started reviewing a paper that's supposed to be double-blind. There are indeed no names in the document, but the file names are the name of the first author... Which made me think - how often do you really not know who's paper you are reviewing? 🧪🌎
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Paolo Becciu @pbecciu.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Happy to be included in the ‘Understanding Migration’ virtual issue at Functional Ecology — alongside many influential papers 🐦🎉 #birdmigration #movementecology #ornithology @funecology.bsky.social @besmovesig.bsky.social 👉 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Understanding migration: Functional Ecology
<em>Functional Ecology</em> journal publishes high-impact research providing a mechanistic understanding of ecological pattern and process from the organismic to ecosystem scale.
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
After many many nights of field work, Yohay Wasserlauf led the GPS tagging of a few birds, discovering that at least some are resident. How long were they there without us knowing? What else is under our noses without us knowing? 🧪🌎🪶🐾 #ornithology #conservation link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Egyptian Nightjars are residents in the Dead Sea region, showing a high year-round roost fidelity - Journal of Ornithology
We investigated the spatial behavior of a recently discovered breeding population of Egyptian Nightjars (Caprimulgus aegyptius) near the Dead Sea. While there is a prevalent migratory tendency in othe...
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
These amazing birds breed and roost in what can only be described as Martian Habitat. They find shade under trees that were washed centuries ago when the Dead Sea reached further north. Feeding seems to mainly occur in nearby agriculture fields
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
In 2014, a car hit a strange bird in the northern Dead Sea area. The driver found a dead Egyptian #Nightjar, and saw another one flying away. First observation for that area. Multiple efforts started - surveys, ringing, tagging - and a breeding population was discovered!
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Larger than a blackbird, in one of the most populated areas in the world, but still unseen for who knows how long. A second paper from the story of the discovery of the Egyptian #Nightjar in the Dead Sea area was published recently. 🧪🐾🌎🪶 📷 Y. Wasserlauf #ornithology #conservation #ecology
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
Another touristic site with my parents, another cool #bird_behavior. This time, Mainau and its beautiful trees present a cool Nuthach. #ornithology
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Took my parents to see the Rhine Falls today. They enjoyed the falls, I enjoyed other things enjoying the falls 🙃 #ornithology
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Batumi Raptor Count @batumiraptorcount.org · 09/09/2025
A new study led by @moveandconserve.bsky.social used GPS tracking to test the monitoring potential of Eilat and Batumi. An invaluable step toward linking counted birds to their origins, but we found it needed some elaboration from a migration count perspective! Our commentary: tinyurl.com/nnbzu7kc
tinyurl.com
One million raptors: But where do they come from? — Batumi Raptor Count
As a migration counter, you can’t help but wonder: “Where did the bird I just tallied come from, and where is it going?” In light of BRC’s main aim — monitoring raptor population trends — this very ...
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
Hi @askaboutanimals.bsky.social can you please add me? I am a zoologist studying mainly migratory birds but recently adding sedentary mammals so shifting from Ornithologist to Zoologist :) Here is my google scholar: scholar.google.com/citations?us...
scholar.google.com
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
This is now officially out with the new @currentbiology.bsky.social issue (current Current Biology issue 🙃). @yaelbird.bsky.social 🧪🌎🐾🪶 #ornithology #conservation #movement_ecology
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Since you asked, I'll take the opportunity :) We got this published officially today. I am pretty proud of it and I think it is a nice paper: www.cell.com/current-biol...
cell.com
Age-dependent response to anthropogenic habitat during migration of an endangered raptor
Efrat et al. use complementary data sources and statistical methods to show how experience, weather, and landscape affect endangered eagles’ migratory behavior. Most prominently, they present an exper...
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Ron Efrat @moveandconserve.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
I think I might print this and put it on my office door (the part about the khachapuri, of course 😋)
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