Preliminary Scientific Program

Tuesday 25th march

9.00 - 13.30 h.

Reception

Hall IREC

10.00 - 13.30 h.

Workshop 1

Classroom 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.
 

Coordinator:

Axel Wolff

10.00 - 13.30 h.

Workshop 2

Classroom 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.

Coordinator:

Cristián Pérez Granados

Universidad de Alicante. Spain


10.00 - 13.30 h.

Workshop 3

Classroom 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. 

Coordinator:

Francesco Valerio

13.30 - 15.00 h.

Lunch break (not included)

15.00 - 18.00 h.

Reception & placement of posters

Hall Paraninfo

16.30 - 17.00 h.

Opening ceremony

UCLM Paraninfo

17.00 - 18.00 h.

Inaugural Plenary Session

UCLM Paraninfo

The plight of Palearctic bustards

Speaker:

Nigel Collar

Research Fellow, BirdLife International, Cambridge UK, and Co-Chair, IUCN Bustard Specialist Group.


18.15 - 19.15 h.

Opening cocktail

Hall Paraninfo

Wednesday 26th march

9.00 - 10.00 h.

Invited Plenary 1

UCLM Paraninfo

Using PECBMS and EBBA2 data on steppe birds in European policy and research

Speaker:

Alena Klvaňová

Head of monitoring and research department, Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme manager, Czech Society for Ornithology and European Bird Census Council, Prague, Czechia


10.00 - 10.30 h.

Coffee Break

Hall Paraninfo

10.30 - 13.30 h.

Thematic session 1. Population monitoring and trends 1

UCLM Paraninfo

Assessing bird communities in Mediterranean agricultural landscapes through acoustic monitoring: BirdNET, Merlin and acoustic indices.

Specific monitoring method for the common quail (Coturnix coturnix) during the breeding season.

BirdNET, a user-friendly acoustic algorithm, complements traditional field censuses for describing grassland bird communities in Europe.

The study of the distribution and resources of the Saker falcon in Mongolia.

Drones and Biodiversity: Impact on Lanzarote's Avifauna.

10.30 - 13.30 h.

Thematic session 2. Life-history strategies

IREC auditorium

Surviving the heat: climate change challenges for steppe birds.

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra) in the abyss: discrepancy between habitat preferences and breeding success.

Malaria-like parasites of European rollers breeding in a semi-arid zone.

Low breeding success in two declining steppe birds revealed by remote tracking and field data.

Estimating apparent survival of Pin-tailed-sandgrouse (Pterocles alchata) through non-invasive genetic mark-recapture.

12.45 - 13.30 h.

Poster session

Hall Paraninfo

13.30 - 15.00 h.

Lunch break

Hall Paraninfo

15.00 - 17.00 h.

Thematic session 3. Population monitoring and trends 2

UCLM Paraninfo

Population status and trends of the Little Bustard in its Eastern range.

Demography and viability of a reinforced North African houbara bustard population.

Long-term continued decrease in productivity of Montagús harriers (Circus pygargus) across Spain explains recent trends and predicts further decline.

Status and migration the Eastern Great Bustard population breeding in the Uvs Nuur Basin of Western Mongolia.

Significant decline of the houbara bustard in the Canary Island.

15.00 - 17.00 h.

Thematic session 4. Dynamics and Drivers of Habitat Change in Steppe and Pseudo-steppe ecosystems

IREC auditorium

Fungicide exposure in declining Iberian steppe birds.

Dynamic occupancy models and citizen science reveal steppe birds range dynamics and priority conservation areas.

Habitat structure and landscape composition determine the occurrence of steppe birds in natural grasslands and shrublands.

Contractions in the distribution of farmland and steppe bird species in Spain in relation to agriculture intensification.

Effects of farming specialisation on steppe birds in southern Portugal.

17.00 - 17.30 h.

Coffee break

Hall Paraninfo

17.30 - 18.30 h.

Round table. Role of agricultural practices for steppe birds conservation

UCLM Paraninfo

Moderator:

Mario Díaz Esteban

Research Professor of the Spanish Research Council and coordinator ot the AGRIAMBIO Thematic Platform


18.45 - 19.45 h.

GIAE Assembly

Thursday 27th march

9.00 - 10.00 h.

Invited Plenary 2

UCLM Paraninfo

Speaker:

Joao Paulo da Silva

Researcher at the University of Porto, Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources. Portugal.


10.00 - 10.30 h.

Coffee Break

10.30 - 12.30 h.

Thematic session 5. Movement strategies and migration patterns

UCLM Paraninfo

Stone-curlews show a remarkable variability in movement patterns: a case study in Northern Morocco.

Movement ecology of little bustards (Tetrax tetrax): migration strategies, connectivity and corridor features across the Iberian Peninsula.

Factors affecting survival of GPS tagged steppe land birds.

Movement patterns, conservation status and challenges of the Asian Houbara Bustard in Israel.

Microclimate refugia availability shapes environmental niches and predicts movement strategies of little bustards.

Post-breeding dispersal patterns and ecological niche modelling of Lesser Kestrel in the Iberian Peninsula.

10.30 - 12.30 h.

Thematic session 6. Evolutionary and behavioral ecology of steppe birds 1

IREC auditorium

Coexistence of two diverging lineages of common quails in southern Spain.

Cultural evolution and changes in the song of the Dupont’s Lark (Chersophilus duponti) over time and space.

An accelerometry based model to identify the behaviours of the Little Bustard.

Use of waste disposal sites by the globally endangered Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis in Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman.

Long-distance relatives: genetic structure and diversity of eastern imperial eagle populations across Eurasia.

Using accelerometer data to track the behavior of elusive birds: the case of Eurasian Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus).

12.45 - 13.45 h.

Poster session

Hall Paraninfo

13.45 - 15.00 h.

Lunch Break

Hall Paraninfo

15.00 - 17.00 h.

Information point and poster exhibition

15.00 - 17.00 h.

Thematic session 7. Impact of human infrastructures

UCLM Paraninfo

The global impact of solar photovoltaic expansion on the worlds birds.

The European Green Deal must be fully implemented: the acceleration of renewable energy endangers target and threatened steppe bird species.

Steppe Habitat Compensation in Solar Energy Projects: Analysis of Environmental Impact Statements in Spain.

Identifying conflicts between renewable energy developments and taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of steppe birds.

Alarming state of steppe bird habitats in southern Spain. ZAPRAEs, olive groves and photovoltaic plants.

Current and future conflicts between utility-scale photovoltaic power plant and sandgrouse distributions.

15.00 - 17.00 h.

Thematic session 8. Evolutionary and behavioral ecology of steppe birds 2

IREC auditorium

Good neighbours: habitat partitioning and coexistence in a steppe bird community.

Direct and indirect effects of rainfall variability on steppe bird abundance under climate change: the species-specific ecological profile matters.

Interannual and seasonal variations in niche partitioning between two sympatric sandgrouses.

Winter habitat selection of Eurasian Stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus) in Southwest Iberia revealed by high-resolution data.

Feeding habits of the male Little Bustard during the breeding season: the role of habitat and land use in diet selection.

The Palaeoecological Links between Climate Change, Vegetation change and British Farmland Birds in the Archaeological Record.

17.00 - 17.30 h.

Coffee Break

Hall Paraninfo

17.30 - 18.30 h.

Round table. Renewable energy and the impact on steppe birds.

UCLM Paraninfo

20.00 - 23.00 h.

Congress dinner

Friday 28th march

9.00 - 10.00 h.

Invited Plenary 3

UCLM Paraninfo

Dynamic land use shapes the bird community of the Eurasian steppe

Speaker:

Johannes Kamp

Researcher in the University of Göttingen. Germany.


10.15 - 11.20 h.

Thematic session 9. Conservation strategies and policy mechanisms: Present and future 1

UCLM Paraninfo

Scenario planning and participatory processes: a useful tool for European steppes’ conservation.

Coexistence conservation: The potential of behaviour-based methods to mitigate predation on steppe birds in farmland ecosystems.

Long-term Systematic Conservation Planning for Two Declining Steppe Birds in Iberia.

Haemosporidian diversity in captive and wild Asian houbara bustard populations: implications for conservation and ecosystem stability.

Bustards Without Borders: A Collaborative Approach to Global Bustard Conservation.

11.20 - 11.50 h.

Coffee Break

11.50 - 13.30 h.

Thematic session 10. Conservation strategies and policy mechanisms: Present and future 2

UCLM Paraninfo

A demographic evaluation of the conservation management of the Little Bustard (Tetrax tetrax) in Catalonia.

Assessing the Effectiveness of CAP measures for the conservation of endangered steppe birds.

Restoration of Iberian Shrub Steppes: Effects on Arthropod Biomass and Dupont’s Lark Populations.

Results of two years of translocations of a steppe passerine in continental Europe: the endangered Dupont’s lark.

Conservation actions and assessment of hunting (un)sustainability to recover the Common Quail (Coturnix coturnix).

Can habitat management and human-induced mortality mitigation reverse the decline of the little bustard in Extremadura?

13.45 - 15.00 h.

Lunch Break

15.00 - 16.00 h.

Closing Plenary

UCLM Paraninfo

30 years studying harriers, bustards and stone curlews: new knowledge and lessons for conservation

Speaker:

Vincent Bretagnolle

Senior Scientist CNRS, at Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé.


16.00 - 17.00 h.

Closing Ceremony

UCLM Paraninfo

17.30 - 19.00 h.

Presentation of the documentary "URPA: un glop fresc per salvar l’arpella cendrosa”