Parrots move to centre stage in conservation and evolution

Heinsohn, Robert; Buchanan, Katherine L.; Joseph, Leo

doi:10.1080/01584197.2018.1411223

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…As a consequence, parrots have become the most captivating avian group [2]. Increased demand for captive-bred companion parrots increases their illegal trapping from the wild, which additionally strongly influences their extinction risk, along with such threats as habitat loss or degradation, a biased sex ratio in adults and low female breeding participation (reviewed by Heinsohn et al [3]). Hence, the breeding, monitoring and conservation of endangered parrot populations are particularly important and require an efficient sexing method.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker

Kroczak

Wołoszyńska

Wierzbicki

et al. 2021

Genes

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Sexing of birds is indispensable for scientific, breeding and conservation programs but is difficult in many species and is particularly problematic in the case of nestlings showing no sexual dimorphism. Most useful and efficient methods of sex determination are based on unique features of the Z and W sex chromosomes detected via PCR to distinguish males (ZZ) and females (ZW). During the last twenty-five years researchers searched for the universal marker capable of sexing a maximally wide spectrum of species in a single PCR assay. We screened the phylogenetically representative set of 135 Psittaciformes species including 59 species sexed for the first time. Two known (P2P8, CHD1iA) PCR markers and four additional W/Z polymorphisms (CHD1iE, CHD1i16, CHD1i9 and NIPBLi16) located within the Chromo Helicase DNA binding CHD1 or the Nipped-B homolog NIPBL genes were applied. We present the electrophoretic patterns obtained for the PCR products of the analyzed markers including most typical and atypical patterns allowing sex determination, as well as those obtained when the given marker failed in sexing. Technical aspects of molecular sex determination are discussed: the optimization of amplification conditions, direct PCR and potential misinterpretations. A truly universal marker has not been found, and therefore, we propose a sexing strategy based on multiple CHD1i16, NIPBLi16, CHD1i9 and CHD1iE markers. This new strategy confirms the sex of a given bird with at least two markers detecting independent Z/W polymorphisms, reduces the number of necessary PCR reactions and minimizes the risk of sex misidentification.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker

Kroczak

Wołoszyńska

Wierzbicki

et al. 2021

Genes

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“…According to BirdLife data in the 2018 IUCN red list, 13% of the known bird species are threatened (IUCN 2018). Many species of the order Psittaciformes (parrots) are threatened with extinction (Berg and Bennett 2010;Olah et al 2016;Heinsohn et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Parrots are divided into three families (Psittacidae, Cacatuidae, Strigopidae), and are widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical habitats of 124 countries between latitudes 35 degrees north and 56 degrees south (Olah et al 2016). Habitat loss and fragmentation driven by agriculture and urbanization have reduced the population sizes of parrots (Olah et al 2016;Heinsohn et al 2018). In addition, parrots are popular as pets due to their colorful plumage and capacity to mimic human speech (Berg and Bennett 2010;Bradbury and Balsby 2016), and they are the most common avians in the wildlife trade (Bush et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization and comparison of gut microbiomes in nine species of parrots in captivity

et al. 2019

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Gut microbiomes have profound effects on the health of hosts. About 28% of extant parrot species are threatened with extinction. To inform conservation efforts, we characterized and compared the gut microbiomes in nine species of parrots in captivity. The core gut microbiome of parrots was dominated by three bacterial phyla: the Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. This core gut microbiome is similar to that in other herbivorous birds. There were no statistical differences in the diversity of gut microbiomes among parrot species, but significant variations in richness were detected. Individuals of the same species had more similar gut microbial composition to each other than to other species, indicating the potential role of host ancestry on shaping gut microbiomes. However, gut microbiomes did not cluster according to host species. Furthermore, Lactobacillus might influence the gut microbial composition of parrots. These results can contribute to improving our understanding of the basic characteristics of parrot gut microbiomes and help with their conservation.

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“…Parrots (Psittaciformes) are one of the most threatened groups of birds, with 28% of 398 parrot species listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (BirdLife International 2017a, Heinsohn et al 2018). In Africa, six species are considered threatened or ‘Near Threatened’, with the most commonly cited threats being hunting and trapping and habitat loss (Olah et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining local knowledge and field surveys to determine status and threats to Timneh Parrots Psittacus timneh in Guinea-Bissau

Lopes

Martin

Henriques

et al. 2018

Bird Conservation International

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SummaryTimneh Parrots Psittacus timneh are a threatened species endemic to the moist forests of West Africa. In 2016, they were categorised as ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List, due to suspected rapid population declines driven by habitat loss and heavy trapping for the pet trade. Systematic assessments of the status of populations are lacking for much of their range and addressing this knowledge shortfall has been identified as a priority action. We combined multiple research approaches to investigate the distribution, trends and threats to Timneh Parrots in Guinea Bissau, where the species is restricted to the islands of the Bijagós archipelago and Pecixe. Direct observational surveys were conducted along line transects on 19 islands. A total of 69 groups were observed on eight of these islands, with the majority (78%) seen on just two islands. Forty-two interviews were conducted with local community members on 24 islands. Interviewees reported the species to occur on 20 islands and that populations are generally perceived to have declined in recent decades. Based on these findings and existing data we conclude that Timneh Parrots occur on 22 of the 32 islands considered and estimate the national population in Guinea-Bissau to be in the order of several hundred individuals, with perhaps half of the parrots occurring on the islands of João Vieira and Meio. Investigations into the factors linked to inter-island variation in parrot densities indicate that densities are highest on the islands which are most remote from permanent human settlements. These findings suggest that human activities including habitat modification and trapping have been important in driving population declines in Guinea-Bissau. We consider the implications of these findings for the conservation of Timneh Parrots.

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Parrots move to centre stage in conservation and evolution

Cited by 9 publications

References 26 publications

New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker

New Bird Sexing Strategy Developed in the Order Psittaciformes Involves Multiple Markers to Avoid Sex Misidentification: Debunked Myth of the Universal DNA Marker

Characterization and comparison of gut microbiomes in nine species of parrots in captivity

Combining local knowledge and field surveys to determine status and threats to Timneh Parrots Psittacus timneh in Guinea-Bissau

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