Abstract
Resolving the migratory connectivity (identifying non-breeding grounds) of migrating bird populations that are morphologically similar is crucial for an understanding of their population dynamics and ultimately their conservation. Such is the case in Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa, where the Iceland-breeding subspecies islandica shows overlap during the non-breeding season with the continental-Europe-breeding limosa. On the basis of variation in the control region of mitochondrial DNA, it was already shown that there is a clear geographic structure in their phylogeography and a clear discrimination between the haplotypes of the two subspecies. We can thus assign subspecies of non-breeding individuals on the basis of a molecular assay. Here we validated this approach using samples of 113 birds with known breeding origin, and on the basis of haplotype variation, all birds were properly assigned to each subspecies. We then tested for overlap during non-breeding season using a sample of 278 birds from an Iberian wintering and staging area, the inland rice fields in southwest Iberia (Extremadura, Spain). We showed that even in this inland area, 6.5 % of the birds belonged to islandica subspecies, thus demonstrating the usefulness of genetic markers as an alternative or supplementary method to the most common approach, individual colour-ringing.
Zusammenfassung
Überschneiden sich verschiedene Unterarten der Uferschnepfe Limosa limosa in den iberischen Winter- und Rastgebieten? Eine Bestätigung anhand genetischer Marker
Die Aufklärung der Zugkonnektivität (Ermittlung der Überwinterungsgebiete) von morphologisch ähnlichen Zugvogelpopulationen ist entscheidend für das Verständnis ihrer Populationsdynamik und somit letzten Endes auch für ihren Schutz. Ein solcher Fall ist die Uferschnepfe Limosa limosa, bei der die in Island brütende Unterart islandica außerhalb der Brutzeit mit der in Kontinentaleuropa brütenden Nominatform limosa zusammentrifft. Anhand der Variation in den Kontrollregionen mitochondrialer DNA konnte bereits gezeigt werden, dass die beiden Unterarten eine klare geografische Struktur in ihrer Phylogeografie und eine deutliche Trennung zwischen den Haplotypen aufweisen. Somit kann man mit molekularen Methoden auch außerhalb der Brutzeit Individuen einer Unterart zuordnen. Hier prüften wir diesen Ansatz anhand einer Stichprobe von 113 Vögeln bekannter Brutherkunft, von denen alle auf der Grundlage der Haplotyp-Variation korrekt der Unterart zugeordnet werden konnten. Anschließend testeten wir mittels einer Stichprobe von 278 Vögeln aus einem iberischen Rast- und Überwinterungsgebiet - den im Inland gelegenen Reisfeldern im Südwesten der Iberischen Halbinsel (Extremadura, Spanien) - auf eine Überlappung außerhalb der Brutzeit. Es zeigte sich, dass selbst in dieser Binnenlandregion 6,5 % der Vögel zur Unterart islandica gehörten, wodurch die Eignung genetischer Marker als alternative oder zusätzliche Methode zur individuellen Farbberingung als dem verbreitetsten Ansatz belegt wird.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful suggestions and comments. This work was supported by funding from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia) grant SFRH/BPD/40786/2007 (RJ Lopes), Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (JA Alves), NERC (JA Gill). Several members of the Farlington Ringing Group have participated in many godwit catches throughout the range, thus helping attaining samples used here.
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Lopes, R.J., Alves, J.A., Gill, J.A. et al. Do different subspecies of Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa overlap in Iberian wintering and staging areas? Validation with genetic markers. J Ornithol 154, 35–40 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0865-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0865-8