Linking breeding and overwintering areas of five Nearctic-neotropical migratory passerines using molecular genetic markers

Abstract

Demographic studies of Nearctic-Neotropical migrant songbirds have been limited by the difficulty of following them through a complete annual cycle (Webster et al. 2002). As population regulation may conceivably occur on either the breeding area, wintering areas, or on migration routes, determining levels of connectivity of populations between a species’ breeding and wintering areas is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of migrant populations. An alternative to marking and tracking individuals (of limited use in small passerines) is to use population-specific genetic markers. A major advantage of this approach is that it relies on the genetic characteristics of the whole population (based on the relatedness among its individuals), and therefore a particular individual does not have to be recaptured or followed.

Parent Publication

• Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. 2002 March 20-24; Asilomar, California, Volume 1 and 2

Citation

Mila, B.; Clegg, S. M.; Kimura, M.; Ruegg, K.; Lovette, I.; Smith, T. B. 2005. Linking breeding and overwintering areas of five Nearctic-neotropical migratory passerines using molecular genetic markers. In: Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D., editors 2005. Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. 2002 March 20-24; Asilomar, California, Volume 2 Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-191. Albany, CA: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station: p. 889-892