Data from: Mapping migration in a songbird using high-resolution genetic markers

Neotropical migratory birds are declining across the Western Hemisphere, but conservation efforts have been hampered by the inability to assess where migrants are most limited – the breeding grounds, migratory stopover sites, or wintering areas. A major challenge has been the lack of an efficient, reliable, and broadly applicable method for measuring the strength of migratory connections between populations across the annual cycle. Here we show how high-resolution genetic markers can be used to identify genetically distinct groups of a migratory bird, the Wilson's warbler (Cardellina pusilla), at fine enough spatial scales to facilitate assessing regional drivers of demographic trends. By screening 1626 samples using 96 highly divergent single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) selected from a large pool of candidates (~450,000), we identify novel region-specific migratory routes and timetables of migration along the Pacific Flyway. Our results illustrate that high-resolution genetic markers are more reliable, precise, and amenable to high throughput screening than previously described intrinsic marking techniques, making them broadly applicable to large-scale monitoring and conservation of migratory organisms.西半球范围内的新热带区候鸟种群正持续衰减，但保护工作却因无法精准判定候鸟种群的核心限制区域——即繁殖地、迁徙停歇地与越冬地——而举步维艰。其中一项核心挑战在于，缺乏一种高效、可靠且普适性强的方法，以量化全年生命周期内不同种群间的迁徙联系强度。本研究证明，可借助高分辨率遗传标记（high-resolution genetic markers），以足够精细的空间尺度，识别迁徙鸟类威尔逊林莺（Cardellina pusilla）的遗传分化种群，从而助力解析种群动态趋势的区域驱动因素。本研究从约45万个候选位点中筛选出96个高分化单核苷酸多态性（single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs）位点，对1626份样本开展基因分型，由此揭示了太平洋迁飞通道上全新的区域专属迁徙路线与迁徙时序。研究结果表明，相较于此前报道的内源标记技术，高分辨率遗传标记具备更高的可靠性、精准度，且更适配高通量筛选流程，因此可广泛应用于迁徙生物的大规模监测与保护工作。