About
Movebank is a comprehensive, free online platform dedicated to animal tracking data, coordinated by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, and the University of Konstanz. Designed for the global wildlife research community, it provides tools to upload, manage, share, protect, analyze, and archive GPS and sensor data collected from tagged animals. The platform hosts an interactive map that allows users to visually explore animal movements across studies worldwide. Researchers can manage their own projects and datasets, while developers and data scientists can tap into live data feeds and Software APIs for custom integrations and applications. MoveApps, an integrated cloud computing platform, allows users to build and run data analysis workflows without complex local infrastructure. Additional tools like EnvDATA and ECODATA provide environmental context layers to enrich movement data analysis. With more than 10.4 billion recorded locations, 8.6 billion additional sensor records, 5,133 data owners, and studies spanning 1,643 taxa, Movebank serves as an essential infrastructure for ecology, conservation biology, and biodiversity research. The platform supports best-practice archiving and includes a dedicated data repository, citation guidelines, and a user manual. Whether you are a field biologist tracking migratory birds, a developer building conservation apps, or a student conducting research, Movebank offers a robust, open, and scientifically rigorous environment for working with animal movement data.
Key Features
- Interactive Movement Map: Explore animal tracking data visually through an interactive global map, browsing thousands of studies across species and regions.
- MoveApps Cloud Platform: Build and run data analysis workflows in the cloud without needing local infrastructure, enabling scalable movement data processing.
- Software APIs & Live Data Feeds: Access tracking data programmatically via robust APIs and live data feeds, enabling custom applications and integrations for developers.
- Data Management & Archiving: Upload, organize, protect, and archive tracking datasets following best practices, with a dedicated data repository and citation support.
- Environmental Data Enrichment: EnvDATA and ECODATA tools provide environmental context layers to enhance and contextualize animal movement analysis.
Use Cases
- Wildlife researchers uploading GPS collar data to manage, share, and collaboratively analyze animal migration patterns across international teams.
- Ecology students exploring publicly available tracking studies to support coursework or thesis research on animal behavior and habitat use.
- Conservation organizations archiving long-term tracking datasets to ensure data preservation and enable future scientific reanalysis.
- Developers building mobile or web applications that display real-time or historical animal movement data using Movebank's APIs.
- Journalists and science communicators exploring interactive animal tracking maps to create engaging, data-driven wildlife stories.
Pros
- Completely Free: The platform is free for all users — researchers, students, journalists, and developers — with no paywalls or subscription fees.
- Massive, Diverse Dataset: Over 10.4 billion location records across 9,833 studies and 1,643 taxa make it the world's most comprehensive animal tracking resource.
- Strong Institutional Backing: Coordinated by multiple world-class research institutions including the Max Planck Institute, ensuring scientific credibility and long-term sustainability.
- Developer-Friendly APIs: Software APIs and live data feeds allow developers to build custom tools and applications on top of real-world tracking data.
Cons
- Highly Specialized Domain: The platform is exclusively focused on animal tracking and wildlife ecology, making it irrelevant for users outside this niche.
- Steep Learning Curve for New Users: Effectively using the full range of tools — MoveApps, EnvDATA, APIs — requires familiarity with ecological data formats and research workflows.
- Limited General-Purpose Analytics: Built for wildlife movement data specifically, so it lacks the broad business intelligence or general data analytics capabilities of other platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Movebank?
Movebank is a free online database of animal tracking data hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior. It helps researchers manage, share, protect, analyze, and archive wildlife movement data from GPS tags and other sensors.
Is Movebank free to use?
Yes, Movebank is completely free for all users, including researchers, students, journalists, and developers.
Who can use Movebank?
Movebank is designed for a broad audience: wildlife researchers contributing and analyzing data, students learning about animal behavior, journalists exploring wildlife stories, and developers building conservation or ecology applications.
How much data does Movebank contain?
As of the latest update, Movebank hosts over 10.4 billion location records, 8.6 billion additional sensor records, 9,833 studies, covering 1,643 taxa from 5,133 data owners worldwide.
Can developers access Movebank data via API?
Yes, Movebank provides Software APIs and live data feeds that allow developers to programmatically access tracking data and build custom tools or integrations on top of the platform.
