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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

We also took the opportunity to present several posters at the SEO/BirdLife and SPEA congress, showcasing some of the research our team is currently working on! #Steppebirdsmove #27seo #movementecology #conservation

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Reposted by Steppe Birds MOVE

SEO/BirdLife @seobirdlife.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

¿Cuáles son los aprendizajes extraídos de todas las actividades científicas y paralelas que se han realizado durante el congreso?

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

It was great to participate last week in the XXVII Spanish Ornithological/VIII Iberian Ornithological Conference! We were strongly represented, with oral presentations and participation in a round-table discussion, showcasing the diversity of our research on steppe birds and their conservation.

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

📢 New paper in Ecological Processes! We combined GPS tracking and Sentinel data to model habitat suitability for two sandgrouse at 10m in an Iberian hotspot where both coexist year-round, revealing niches shifts across the year and mechanisms of coexistence. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

link.springer.com

Seasonal variations in niche partitioning between two sympatric sandgrouse - Ecological Processes

Background Understanding how species with similar ecological niches coexist in sympatric environments, where interspecific competition often drives niche partitioning, remains challenging, as traditio...

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Palmier is our first GPS-tagged #MontagusHarriers to start migration! The female, tagged in Castro Verde, is now south of Fez, Morocco. #GPStracking provides year-round information on the ecology of this threatened species, including #migration routes. Have a safe journey, Palmier! #steppebirds

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

With the Montagu's in the field! 🦅 The north-west of the Iberian Peninsula hosts a distinct population of melanic Montagu’s harriers reaching proportions of 45% in Galicia. Why is this colour morph so common here? #LIFESOSPygargus #LIFEProgramme #RedeNatura2000 #Circuspygargus #tartaranhãocaçador

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

📢 The 4th edition of the National Census of #Littlebustard in Portugal is out, revealing a 90% decline over the last 20 years! This trend is deeply alarming and demands immediate #conservation measures to prevent the species extinction in #Portugal! Full report on steppebirdsmove.com - link in bio

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Last week we held our annual meeting in Miranda do Douro, where the whole team discussed key topics of our projects to continue moving forward in the conservation of steppe birds. It was a very valuable few days to share ideas, strengthen the projects and enjoy some time together as a team!

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Bustards are among the world’s most threatened birds! Recently, at COP15, @cms.int adopted a global conservation plan to protect all 26 species across 102 range states! Our group is actively producing science-based evidence to guide effective conservation of bustards across Iberia and Central Asia 🌾

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

After the capture, GPS tagging, and photo documentation for later age determination, comes the best part: the release. #littlebustard #steppebirds #steppebirdconservation #agriculturallandscapes

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

This year we’re capturing #LittleBustards 🪶 in Extremadura to better understand their movements and target #conservation efforts. This work requires extensive knowledge, precision, and great care, as this species is highly sensitive to stress! The last image shows movements of a tagged male.

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

📍 Within the NATIONAL LITTLE BUSTARD SURVEY, a total of 134 survey points have been conducted to date by our team within steppe SPAs in Campo Maior and Moura/Mourão/Barrancos, which are priority areas for the #conservation of the species. Of these, only 8 recorded the presence of little bustards🪶

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Back in the field with Montagu’s harrier 🦅 Tagging birds across Portugal from cereal fields to mountains to understand habitat use and support conservation. Great teamwork to make this possible! #RubricaNCTC #LIFESOSPygargus #LIFEProgramme #RedeNatura2000 #Circuspygargus #tartaranhãocaçador

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Color rings provide key data on #Montagusharriers beyond transmitters, like tracking dispersal, survival, and site fidelity, all critical for conservation. 🦅 📷If you spot or photograph one, check for rings and report to LIFE SOS Pygargus. Avoid disturbance during nesting. #Steppebirdconservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

➡️ Today starts the 4th Portuguese National Survey of the #littlebustard, coordinated by our group and with the collaboration of LPN, SPEA, EDIA and volunteers. Until May 17, observers will be on the field recording all little bustards they can hear or see. #birdsurveys #steppebirdconservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

📣LIFE SOS Pygargus field season has started! On 31 March we tagged our first Montagu's harrier in Castro Verde, with the help of LPN!🦅 Early tagging will inform us on breeding success and habitat use. #RubricaNCTC #LIFESOSPygargus #LIFEProgramme #RedeNatura2000 #Circuspygargus #tartaranhãocaçador

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

The event brought together nearly 50 participants, including representatives from academia, environmental consultants, and engineers from public electricity companies. ⚡🦅 #Uzbekistan #SteppeBirds #Powerlines

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

🎓 Yesterday, we carried out our first joint initiative with the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan: a workshop on power lines and birds, with a special focus on the issue on bustard collision with powerlines. #Uzbekistan #SteppeBirds #Bustards #Powerlines

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Today we signed a formal collaboration with the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan aiming to develop joint research on Bustard ecology and impacts of powerlines 👏

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Meeting one of the survey teams today to follow up on monitoring mortality caused by the high-tension power line 🦅⚡ #Uzbekistan #Powerlines #SteppeBirdConservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🛰️ 🐦‍⬛In recent weeks, we have been capturing and fitting GPS taggs to pin-tailed and black-bellied Sandgrouse in Extremadura, Spain. ➡️ If you would like to learn more about this project, you can read the article our team members contributed to! wilder.pt/historias/em... #sandgrouse #steppebirds

Black-bellied sandgrouse (Pterocles orientalis)

Pin-tailed sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata)

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🌱 Spring is here in the desert, and Ferula plants are coming out this year! #Uzbekistan #Steppebirdconservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Carrying out Houbara bustard surveys with opportunities to admire wild desert tulips! 🌷 #Uzbekistan #Houbarabustard #steppebirdconservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

We have now crossed our study area in the desert, to start surveying the Houbara Bustard tomorrow morning

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

First day in the desert! We have been setting up cameras to asses the duration of florencency of the hawkeye devices fit on the power-lines to prevent bird colisions. 🦅📸 #uzbekistan #powerline #ecology #steppebirdconservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

📣Our team will soon be heading to Uzbekistan! There, we will meet with local partners, follow the progress of a local power line project, take part in houbara surveys, and deliver a workshop on bird–power line interactions. 🐦⚡ 👀 Stay tuned, we will be sharing daily updates from the field!

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

The project LIFE SOS Pygargus is now on eBird! 🦅 Learn how citizen science can help us protect this species and contribute to its conservation. ebird.org/region/PT/po...

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Our research on little bustards in Kyrgyzstan just made national news! 📰 Discover how studying the thriving Central Asian populations can inform efforts to save this declining species in the Iberian Peninsula, where numbers have dropped alarmingly in recent decades. www.publico.pt/2025/07/29/a...

publico.pt

O sisão do Quirguistão pode ajudar os nossos? Espera-se que sim

A Península Ibérica já foi o local com as maiores populações de sisão, mas agora estas estão concentradas sobretudo na Ásia Central. Dois investigadores portugueses foram ao Quirguistão dar uma ajuda.

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

📢 NEW PAPER ALERT 📢 We studied among- and within-individual variation on little bustard migration in Iberia and created a new toolkit to rapidly group movement data into distinct strategies/classes. Read more here: doi.org/10.1186/s404...

doi.org

Individual variation in migration patterns of Iberian little bustards - Movement Ecology

Background Migration is a critical behavioural strategy across many taxa, allowing individuals to respond to seasonal shifts in environmental conditions and resource availability. Understanding animal...

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

🎙️ Our PI, João Paulo Silva, recently joined a podcast (in Portuguese) to talk about our latest research on #littlebustard #ecology in Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries. Check it out to learn more about our ongoing projects! #steppebirdconservation open.spotify.com/episode/5RGl...

open.spotify.com

As viagens dos sisões asiáticos, com João Paulo Silva

A Viagem do Maçarico · Episode

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Our researcher João Gameiro has made a online seminar (in portuguese) about the hen harrier population in Portugal. Interesting insights into Circus phylogeny, hen harrier ecology and the results of the first ever national survey in the country! 🦅 youtu.be/nhrf4wWWZmw?...

youtu.be

Fantasmas alados: em busca dos últimos tartaranhões-azulados de Portugal

YouTube video by Aves de Portugal

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Last week we were at ISA's open day welcoming future students and explaining them why we put #GPS on the prettiest of #birds! 🦅 #SteppeBirdConservation

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Our team was present at ICPSB 2025! João Paulo Silva gave a plenary on steppe birds & power lines, while our ECR shared their work on the ecology, tagging & conservation of steppe birds! A week full of inspiring discussions and new collaborations! #SteppeBirds2025

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Steppe Birds MOVE @steppebirdsmove.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Steppe Birds MOVE – is our group at BIOPOLIS/CIBIO-InBIO, from Uni Porto! Our research focuses on the movement ecology of threatened #grasslandbirds #LittleBustard Pin-tail and Black-bellied #Sandgrouse #MontagusHarrier Stay tuned for our news! #steppebirds #ornithology #movementecology

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