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界迁徙鸟类种群持续衰退，但当前保护工作却因无法准确评估迁徙鸟类受限制最为严重的区域——繁殖地、迁徙停歇地还是越冬地——而受阻。一项核心挑战在于，缺乏一种高效、可靠且普适性强的方法，用以量化全年周期内不同种群间的迁徙联系强度。本研究阐明，高分辨率遗传标记（high-resolution genetic markers）可在足够精细的空间尺度下，识别迁徙鸟类威尔逊黑顶林莺（Wilson's warbler, Cardellina pusilla）的遗传分化类群，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份样本进行基因分型，最终鉴定出太平洋迁飞通道（Pacific Flyway）沿线全新的区域特异性迁徙路线与迁徙时间进程。研究结果表明，相较于此前报道的内在标记技术，高分辨率遗传标记具备更高的可靠性、精确性，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。