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Evidence for brood parasitism in a critically endangered Charadriiform with implications for conservation

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Abstract

Two captive-reared birds of wild origin presumed to be Kakī/Black Stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) were found to display plumage atypical of Kakī. We have combined genetic and non-genetic data to test the hypothesis that these birds are a product of brood parasitism by “non-kakī” [i.e. Poaka/Pied Stilt (Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus) or Kakī–Poaka hybrids]. We found that these atypically plumed birds have cytochrome b haplotypes and microsatellite alleles that could not be attributed to the putative Kakī parents associated with the nest, thus providing the first evidence for brood parasitism in Kakī.

Zusammenfassung

Ein Beleg für Brutparasitismus bei einem vom Aussterben bedrohten Regenpfeifer mit Folgen für die Erhaltung der Art Zwei in freier Wildbahn geschlüpfte und dann in Gefangenschaft aufgezogene Vögel, die für Schwarzstelzenläufer (Himantopus novaezelandiae) gehalten worden waren, wiesen ein für diese Art untypisches Gefieder auf. Wir kombinieren genetische und andere Daten, um die Hypothese zu testen, dass diese Vögel das Produkt von Brutparasitismus durch Weißgesicht-Stelzenläufer (Himantopus himantopus leucocephalus) oder Schwarzstelzenläufer-Weißgesicht-Stelzenläufer-Hybriden waren. Wir zeigen, dass diese untypisch gefärbten Vögel Cytochrom b-Haplotypen und Mikrosatellitenallele hatten, die nicht den mutmaßlichen Schwarzstelzenläufer-Elternvögeln, die mit dem Nest assoziiert waren, zugeordnet werden konnten, und liefern somit den ersten Beleg für Brutparasitismus beim Schwarzstelzenläufer.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the Kakī Recovery Group for sample collection, data management and helpful general discussion. We also thank Katherine McBride for laboratory assistance and Matt Walters for graphics support. Sampling was conducted during the day-to-day activities of the Kakī Recovery Programme according to best practice guidelines issued by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. We are appreciative for funding support from the University of Canterbury (T.E.S), University of Auckland (M.E.H) and a U.S. National Science Foundation Behavioral Systems Grant #1456524 (M.E.H). The experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    Ashley L. Overbeek & Tammy E. Steeves

  2. Department of Psychology, Hunter College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Mark E. Hauber

  3. Department of Conservation, Private Bag, Twizel, 7944, New Zealand

    Elizabeth Brown & Simone Cleland

  4. Department of Conservation, Christchurch Mail Centre, Private Bag 4715, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    Richard F. Maloney

Authors
  1. Ashley L. Overbeek
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  2. Mark E. Hauber
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  3. Elizabeth Brown
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  4. Simone Cleland
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  5. Richard F. Maloney
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  6. Tammy E. Steeves
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tammy E. Steeves.

Additional information

Communicated by M. Wink.

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Overbeek, A.L., Hauber, M.E., Brown, E. et al. Evidence for brood parasitism in a critically endangered Charadriiform with implications for conservation. J Ornithol 158, 333–337 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1375-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1375-x

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