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Movebank is a free online platform for managing, sharing, analysing and archiving animal tracking data and other animal-borne sensor data. It is hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior with partner institutions. Its separate Movebank Data Repository publishes finished datasets with DOIs, licences and curator review. This page explains how the two layers differ and what that means for a data management plan.
Short answer
Movebank is where animal movement data are stored, managed and shared while research is under way. The Movebank Data Repository, a distinct archiving service hosted by the University of Konstanz, is where completed datasets and analysis workflows are published as citable, reviewed, DOI-bearing records. A working study on Movebank is not the same thing as a published data package.
Definition and scope
According to Movebank’s own “About” page (read 2026-11-08), Movebank is an online platform to manage, share, analyse and archive animal tracking and other animal-borne sensor data. It is hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, The Ohio State University, the Senckenberg Society and the University of Konstanz, with funding from the Max Planck Society and the University of Konstanz.
The platform accepts GPS, Argos Doppler, radio and acoustic telemetry, solar geolocator and bird-ring data, along with other on-animal sensors. The About page reported, at the time it was read, about 12.0 billion locations, 9.9 billion other sensor measurements, 10,241 studies, 1,725 taxa and 5,355 data owners. These figures change continuously, so treat them as a snapshot, not a constant.
How Movebank is used in practice
Per the About page, the platform provides:
- Upload of data files, or automated data feeds from more than 30 tag manufacturers.
- Data quality and management tools.
- The Animal Tagger and Animal Tracker apps, and MoveApps for building analysis workflows.
- Env-DATA, which links tracks to environmental variables.
- Public application programming interfaces (APIs).
Ownership and visibility are set by the data owner. The About page states that Movebank users retain ownership of their data and decide whether and when to make them public, or whether to share them only with selected users. The site also publishes a data policy, a user agreement and terms of use that govern this.
Movebank study versus Movebank Data Repository
The Repository page (read 2026-11-08) describes the Repository as Movebank’s formal archiving service, hosted by the Communication, Information, Media Centre of the University of Konstanz. It complements Movebank’s working tools by publishing completed research datasets and analysis workflows so that they are citable and remain accessible. The two layers differ as follows.
| Question | Working study on Movebank | Movebank Data Repository |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Manage, share and analyse data during collection and analysis | Publish completed datasets and analysis workflows for long-term access |
| Selective sharing with colleagues | Yes | Not listed as a Repository feature |
| DOI for the dataset | No | Yes |
| Formal data citation | No | Yes |
| Discoverable through Web of Science Data Citation Index and Google Dataset Search | Not listed | Yes |
| Submission review for quality and completeness | No | Yes, plus data licence issued |
Source: the feature comparison on the Movebank Data Repository page, read 2026-11-08. Rows were included only where the source table states the difference unambiguously.
Related concepts: the two Repository collections
- Data packages are animal tracking datasets composed of data on Movebank. Each is associated with at least one published peer-reviewed article or other description of the data. The data package collection is certified as a trustworthy repository by CoreTrustSeal. If a Movebank study has a related Repository publication, its DOI and a link are shown in the study details.
- Analysis workflows are developed in MoveApps. Each relates to at least one Movebank study and a written publication, and contains the source code of each app plus the information needed to replicate the working environment and settings.
As of January 2026 the Repository held 396 curated datasets with 466 million locations describing nearly 18,000 animals of 260 species. The Repository states that it strives toward the FAIR principles.
Where it matters for data management
For a project that tracks animals, a data management plan can name both layers and say which stage each serves. The following checklist is assembled from statements on the Movebank pages read on 2026-11-08.
- Record who the data owner is. Movebank states that users retain ownership, so ownership and public-release decisions sit with the owner, not the platform.
- State when data will become public. Movebank lets owners choose whether and when; the DMP should record that decision and any embargo period.
- Decide whether the dataset will go to the Repository. Movebank describes submission as a choice made by data owners and analysts.
- Plan for the Depositor Agreement and the Submission Guidelines, which the Repository requires, and for the Repository’s review for quality and completeness.
- Start early if a manuscript needs the DOI. The Repository notes that review can take time and advises beginning the submission while the manuscript is in review.
- Cite the dataset using the DOI the Repository issues, which is what makes it a citable data publication.
For comparison with other general and domain repositories, see how to choose an open data repository and the guide to Zenodo.
Common misunderstandings
“Movebank means open data.”
No. Data owners choose whether and when their data become public, and may share with selected users only. Public release is an owner decision.
“Putting data in Movebank is the same as publishing a dataset.”
Per the Repository page, a DOI, a citable data publication and reviewed, licensed records come through the Repository, not from a user-managed study alone.
“Movebank is only for GPS collars.”
The About page lists GPS, Argos Doppler, radio and acoustic telemetry, solar geolocators, bird rings and other on-animal sensors.
Frequently asked questions
What is Movebank?
An online platform for managing, sharing, analysing and archiving animal tracking and other animal-borne sensor data, hosted by the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior with partners.
Who owns data uploaded to Movebank?
The users. Movebank states that users retain ownership of their data and decide whether and when to make them public.
Does Movebank give datasets a DOI?
The Movebank Data Repository does, after review of the submission. DOIs and data licences are among the services it lists.
Is the Repository certified?
Its data package collection is certified as a trustworthy repository by CoreTrustSeal, according to the Repository page.
Sources
- Movebank, “About Movebank”: movebank.org/cms/movebank-content/about-movebank, read 2026-11-08.
- Movebank, “The Movebank Data Repository”: movebank.org/cms/movebank-content/data-repository, read 2026-11-08.
