biostudies-literatureRamos RFFundação para a Ciência e a TecnologiaNorte Portugal Regional Operational ProgrammeNorte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020)4726https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10036614biostudies-literatureUnknown13(1)Elevated temperatures can have a range of fitness impacts, including high metabolic cost of thermoregulation, hence access to microclimate refugia may buffer individuals against exposure to high temperatures. However, studies examining the use of microclimate refugia, remain scarce. We combined high resolution microclimate modelling with GPS tracking data as a novel approach to identify the use and availability of cooler microclimate refugia (sites > 0.5 °C cooler than the surrounding landscape) at the scales experienced by individual animals. 77 little bustards (Tetrax tetrax) were tracked between 2009 and 2019. The 92,685 GPS locations obtained and their surrounding 500 m areas were characterised with hourly temperature and habitat information at 30 m × 30 m and used to determine microclScientific reportsCombining bird tracking data with high-resolution thermal mapping to identify microclimate refugia.PMC10036614SFRH/BD/14889/2019SFRH/BPD/111084/2015NORTE-01-0246-FEDER-000063Franco AMASilva JPRamos RFGilroy JJfalseCombining bird tracking data with high-resolution thermal mapping to identify microclimate refugia.Elevated temperatures can have a range of fitness impacts, including high metabolic cost of thermoregulation, hence access to microclimate refugia may buffer individuals against exposure to high temperatures. However, studies examining the use of microclimate refugia, remain scarce. We combined high resolution microclimate modelling with GPS tracking data as a novel approach to identify the use and availability of cooler microclimate refugia (sites > 0.5 °C cooler than the surrounding landscape) at the scales experienced by individual animals. 77 little bustards (Tetrax tetrax) were tracked between 2009 and 2019. The 92,685 GPS locations obtained and their surrounding 500 m areas were characterised with hourly temperature and habitat information at 30 m × 30 m and used to determine microcl2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Mar2025-04-18T17:19:24.405Z2025-04-07T04:51:47.05ZS-EPMC100366143695925410.1038/s41598-023-31746-x