Dr. Andrea Kölzsch

My research interests evolve around two projects, both tightly linked to my motivation of improving movement ecology science.

Since my Phd-studies, I have been interested in understanding the movement ecology of avian migrants, why and how they move where and when. I mostly work on European goose species like the greater white-fronted goose (Anser a. albivrons) to understand how their migration is driven and how it might change due to the present climate and habitat change. Hereby, I focus on understanding how individual movement paths are driven by environmental factors like food availability, wind, disturbance and social factors like the movement of other individuals. For disentangling those questions, I collect and analyse high resolution GPS tracks and 3D ACC data, often in close collaboration with tag developers. Since 2016 we also track complete goose families with the aim to disentangle if and how preferences for timing and site use reflect the behaviour of the parents.

In 2020, I have become the project leader to develop MoveApps – a no-code analysis platform for animal tracking data. The aim of this platform is to bring together movement ecologists and wildlife managers looking for flexible analysis tools with those who are developing tools and want to share them with others. Thus, sophisticated analytical tools will be made accessible to a larger audience.

Since January 2024, I am a partner in the EU-funded project HABITRACK: Habitat tracking for the conservation of huntable bird species. The project aims to fill scientific knowledge gaps in relation to the amount and quality of undisturbed habitat that is needed for 14 huntable bird species in non-secure status. I am the data manager of the project, will be equip Taiga bean geese, Eurasian wigeon and Norther pintails with GPS transmitters and explore habitat requirements in migration stopover sites by different modelling efforts. The results will allow required recommendations for management and conservation to the EU.

In September 2024, I will leave the MPIAB to take up an assistant professor position at the Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Leaving is difficult, so I stay affiliated to the institute and look forward to continue working on the above projects with old and new collaborators.