The project

The HABITRACK project is funded by the European Union as part of the HORIZON-CL6-2023-BIODIV-01-4 program calling for better methods and knowledge to improve the conservation status of EU-protected species and habitats and specifically targeting huntable bird species listed in Annex II of the Birds Directive (Area B). It brings together a consortium of seven partners partners from four countries (France, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Finland).

The HABITRACK project aims to provide crucial knowledge for the conservation of breeding, migration and wintering habitats for 14 species of huntable birds with non-secure conservation status in Europe. These species are in decline, and there is a severe lack of information on their habitat quality and quantity requirements. This information is needed to effectively organise the management and restoration of their habitats and ensure their conservation status is restored to a favourable level.  

HABITRACK proposes to use, as an innovative tool, data acquisition of individual geolocations by a massive deployment of GPS tags for each species. This new data will complement the growing effort across Europe and beyond to fill gaps in species knowledge. The scientific consortium and its collaborators build an analysis framework to link habitat needs, population trends and breeding performance and develop new methods to estimate parameters to be integrated into demographic models (see Publications & Reports). This project aims to provide appropriate recommendations for breeding and wintering habitat management policies. The efficiency of the pathways to impact will be achieved by mobilising various organisations and stakeholders in a Steering committee, ensuring the dissemination and appropriation of the scientific outcomes and management recommendations.