Combining genomic and field analyses to reveal migratory status in a burrowing owl population

Partial migration, in which some members of a population migrate and others do not, is a widely-occurring strategy among animal species, but studies of this behavior are impeded by the difficultly in distinguishing migrant from resident individuals.  We used a combination of genomic sequencing and bird banding to determine the migratory status of individuals in a declining population of western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in northern California. We banded individuals for four consecutive years in winter and summer. Each summer we looked for birds we had banded in the winter.  Using genomic analysis, we analyzed feathers from winter birds and birds found in the summer to assess migratory status and interactions between winter and summer birds.  We found a pattern of migration in which birds from outside the region joined resident birds at the breeding sites in the winter, but disappeared by the next breeding season. These results fit the pattern for partial breeding migr..., , , # Combining genomic and field analyses to reveal migratory status in a burrowing owl population

We used a combination of genomic sequencing and bird banding to determine the migratory status of individuals in a declining population of western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) in northern California. We banded individuals for four consecutive years in winter and summer. Each summer we surveyed for birds we had banded during previous winters. Using genomic analysis, we analyzed feathers from birds found in winter and summer to assess migratory status and interactions between winter and summer owls.

## Description of the data and file structure

1\)    *BUOW.DNA01_B2020.104SNP_assays.3loc.str*: is the structure genotype input file that includes 106 individuals, 104 variants, and 3 location priors: 1= migrant (or not a Northern California resident), 2= resident and 3= unknown. We labeled all feathers collected as “unknown” because we were testing whether we could diagnose the...