Offre de stage : Master Project

 Master Project: Individual Differences in Movement Strategies of Captive-bred
and Wild-born North African Houbara Bustards from SORATO Enrico
<esorato@reneco.org>

Background
Studying animal movements is of paramount importance for understanding the
complex interactions between wildlife and their environment. Movement ecology
studies provide invaluable insights into species’ and individuals’ behavioural
patterns, resource utilisation, and adaptive strategies, which are essential
for effective conservation and management efforts.
The study of post-release movement patterns in captive-bred animals released
into the wild is especially important for the success of conservation and
reintroduction programmes. Because the transition from captivity to the wild
is fraught with challenges, understanding how released individuals navigate
and use space within their new environment is crucial for elucidating factors
affecting individual survival and long-term population viability. By examining
the movement ecology of released animals, and comparing it to their wild-born
counterparts, it is therefore possible to gain insights into the ability of
captive-bred individuals to locate resources, avoid predators, and establish
territories—key behaviours that may be compromised by a captive upbringing.
This knowledge may eventually allow to refine rearing and release strategies,
optimise selection of sites for release, and identify potential impediments to
successful translocations.
Aims
This project will evaluate within- and among-individual variation in movements
and space-use of North African Houbara Bustards (Chlamydotis undulata
undulata) in Eastern Morocco, including captive-bred and wild-born
individuals. More specifically, it will address the following questions:
- To what extent do individuals differ in their movement parameters
(i.e. individual repeatabilities)
- How do movement parameters covary among individuals (movement
syndromes)
- What is the relationship between individual movement syndromes and
individual parameters such as sex, age, origin (captive-bred, wild-born), vs.
local ecological conditions?
Data & Methods
The student will analyse a large multi-year GPS dataset, consisting of
relocations collected at 5-min intervals (24h), from more than 600 captive-
bred and 50 wild-born houbaras released in Eastern Morocco. A range of
movement parameters will then be extracted from GPS data, and analysed using
linear mixed models (GLMMs), allowing estimation of fixed effects (individual
parameters: e.g. age, sex, origin; extrinsic predictors: e.g. habitat type)
and partitioning of movement variance (e.g. individual repeatability).
Multivariate mixed models will further allow modelling the co-variation
between different movement parameters.
Working environment
This Master will be part of a long-term research project, established and
developed by Reneco International Wildlife Consultants LLC and the
International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
The successful candidate will be based at his/her chosen university and will
be expected to spend time at Reneco HQ in Abu Dhabi, UAE, to conduct analyses
under the supervision of Reneco PI, Dr. Enrico Sorato. Additionally, the
project will include a visit to the field research site in Eastern Morocco to
gain hands-on experience with the study system.
Start Date: March 2025 Duration: 6 months Salary: 600 euros/month +
travel expenses and onsite accommodation (Research site in Morocco and Reneco
HQ in Abu Dhabi, UAE)
For enquires and applications, please contact Enrico Sorato:
esorato@reneco.org