Workshop 1: Conservation research perspectives on Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata and Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra.
Outline
The Pin-tailed sandgrouse and the Calandra lark share many ecological requirements and are frequently sympatric across their distribution range in Western Europe. They also experience alarming population declines and range contraction throughout the Mediterranean.       
Although extensive research has recently been conducted on Pin-tailed sandgrouse in the Iberian Peninsula, both species remain among the least understood steppe birds, slowing the development of efficient conservation strategies.      
Proposed as part of the French conservation plan on Pterocles alchata and Melanocorypha calandra, this workshop seeks to outline recent progress in the understanding of the biology and ecology of both species, and to explore future priorities in conservation research.

Overall and specific objectives
The session will invite various species specialists to present recent research results on the ecology and conservation of Pterocles alchata and Melanocorypha calandra. Because of the elusive nature of the species, special attention will be given to methodological challenges, and how they can be overcome.      
Attendees will then be invited to debate about research priorities. The workshop will specifically aim at stimulating research on the species, sharing experiences and practices, and developing national and international collaborations.      
      
Debates will especially focus on:      
- Estimation of demographic parameters and associated threats      
- Population monitoring methods       
- Habitat requirements and management of pseudo-steppe and agro-pastoral landscapes

Related topics
- Life-history strategies      
- Population monitoring and trends      
- Dynamics and drivers of habitat change

Benefits for participants
Participants will be provided with an update in conservation research on Pterocles alchata, Melanocorypha calandra, and their habitats. Debates will seek to give insights about how to overcome methodological challenges, and to create emulation and collaboration perspectives for the development of new researches.

Workshop length
210 min

Number of participants
10 to 30

Target audience
Specialists of the species, people conducting research on related species or on the management and conservation of their habitats, and anyone interested in developing research or conservation projects related to either species.
 

Wokshop 2: Automated acoustic detection of steppe birds: Learn to use BirdNET GUI.
Outline
Passive acoustic monitoring (i.e. recording sounds in an environment with autonomous recording units) has proven to be useful for monitoring birds in a wide range of contexts. Nonetheless, its use to monitor steppe birds is still limited. In this workshop we aim to train the attendees on how to use BirdNET GUI, a user-friendly and free software able to identify over 6,000 bird species. This tool will extend the current list of methods available for monitoring steppe birds. The attendees will learn how to use the software on their own computers, and therefore should be able to run the analyses by themselves after the training, as well as know how to choose the best set of parameters for automated detection of steppe birds, and validate the output of the software.

Overall and specific objectives
Present how passive acoustic monitoring and BirdNET can be used for acoustic automated detection of steppe birds. 1) Train the attendees on how BirdNET should be used, 2) what are the meanings of the settings that can be adjusted, 3) how the outputs of BirdNET should be analysed to remove false positives (a species predicted but not actually present) and 4) how to filter BirdNET outputs to keep only high-confidence predictions.

Related topics 
Population monitoring and trends

Benefits for participants
The participants will learn how to use BirdNET and how passive acoustic monitoring can contribute to monitoring steppe birds. These skills will improve their capability for monitoring steppe bird communities and improve their monitoring programmes.

Workshop length
210 minutes

Number of participants
5-30

Target audience
The target audience are researchers, technicians and managers eager to learn about how BirdNET, a free and user-friendly machine learning tool, can be used for automated detection of steppe birds in sound recordings.

Technical requirements  
Attendees should bring their own laptop.

Workshop 3: Applications of Remote Sensing for Steppe Bird Conservation Using Google Earth Engine.
Outline
This workshop will provide participants with hands-on training on the use of Google Earth Engine (GEE) for remote sensing applications aimed at the ecology and conservation of steppe birds. Participants will learn how to pre-process imageries and calculate baseline ecological metrics like the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index).      
Through guided exercises, participants will apply remote sensing techniques to quickly create NDVI time series and visualize them within GEE. Furthermore, the workshop will demonstrate how to match telemetry data from bird tracking studies with satellite-derived data at multiple scales, an essential step to explore relationships between bird movement patterns with environmental variables. This approach will offer research opportunities into habitat selection, movement ecology, and behavioral patterns, all essential for effective conservation strategies.      
The workshop will combine theoretical presentations with hands-on coding sessions, making it suitable for participants at a beginner/intermediate level of experience in remote sensing. Participants will also gain practical experience in customizing analysis workflows and applying them to real-world conservation challenges. This workshop will equip participants with essential skills to leverage remote sensing for more informed decision-making in the conservation of steppe bird habitats.

Overall and specific objectives
Equip participants with practical remote sensing skills to address conservation challenges for steppe birds.      
Specific Objectives:      
Understand the basics of GEE.      
Learn techniques for data pre-processing.      
Derive habitat quality metrics.      
Apply time-series analyses.      
Integrate telemetry data with remote sensing time series metrics.

Related topics
Dynamics and drivers of habitat change in steppe and pseudo-steppe ecosystems.      
Evolutionary and behavioral ecology of steppe birds.      
Conservation strategies and policy mechanisms.

Benefits for participants
Participants will gain hands-on experience in remote sensing techniques, with a focus on GEE, enabling them to process and analyze large-scale environmental datasets rapidly and match with telemetry data.

Workshop length
210 minutes

Number of participants
20

Target audience
Researchers, conservation practitioners, and students with an interest in steppe bird ecology and conservation.

Technical requirements     
Attendees should bring their own laptop, with Google Earth Engine access.