Using DNA metabarcoding to explore spatial variation in diet across European Hawfinch populations

The investigation of diet in avian species is essential to an understanding of their ecology and local adaptations, as well as long-term conservation. This can be particularly challenging due to the wide distribution and high ecological plasticity of many bird species. Dietary richness and variation are under-studied in woodland bird species, due primarily to challenges in accurately identifying plant and invertebrate taxa consumed. Within Europe, Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) have shown variation in population trends, with moderate declines across central and eastern Europe, while western European populations have shown moderate increases. Ecological drivers behind this differing trend are still unknown; one possibility is differences in diet, yet little research has been conducted into Hawfinch diet in mainland Europe or elsewhere. This study aimed to present the first molecular dietary analysis of Hawfinch populations across two European countries. Faecal samples were coll..., , Files containing raw Illumina sequencing data regarding Hawfinch diet described in Stenhouse et al. 2023.