Learn more about the Bird Genoscape Project here.
Neotropical migratory birds are declining across the Western Hemisphere, but conservation efforts have been stalled by the inability to assess where migrants are most limited – the breeding grounds, migratory stopover points, or tropical wintering areas. Historically, efforts to correlate breeding, wintering, and migratory populations have relied on large – scale banding programs or small tracking devices, however, these efforts have met with limited success because recapture of small – bodied birds is rare. Thus, there is an urgent need for a tracking technology that is minimally invasive, reliable, and capable of characterizing migratory patterns on a broad scale.
CTR has developed a a high-resolution molecular tag for tracking migratory birds on hemispheric scales. We are using this approach to create genetic maps, or “genoscapes” of 10 migratory bird species, and hope to expand to 100 species.
We are working with a variety of government and non-profit partners to expand the development of high-resolution molecular tags to species and populations of conservation concern across the Western Hemisphere. The resulting information can be used to help address current and future challenges facing migratory birds.
PROJECTS
A U.S. Department of Energy Funded Project to Understand the Demographic Impacts of Solar Energy Sites on Migratory Bird Populations Increased solar energy production is a critical element of efforts to limit anthropogenic climate change, however those same solar facilities may pose a risk to individual birds that migrate past them. While there are known...
The Center for Tropical Research recently launched the Bird Genoscape Project, an effort to map the population-specific migratory routes of 100 species of migratory songbirds by harnessing the power of genomics.
George, T. L.; Harrigan, R. J.; LaManna, J. A.; DeSante, D. F.; Saracco, J. F.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2015 | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(46), 14290–14294
Janeček, S.; Bartoš, M.; Njabo, K. Y.
Published Work | 2015 | Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 115(1), 127–133
Ruegg, K. C.; Anderson, E. C.; Paxton, K. L.; Apkenas, V.; Lao, S.; Siegel, R. B.; DeSante, D. F.; Moore, F.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2014 | Molecular Ecology 23(23), 5726–5739
Alvarado, A. H.; Fuller, T. L.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2014 | Ecology and Evolution 4(17), 3456–3469
Ruegg, K. C.; Anderson, E. C.; Boone, J.; Pouls, J.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2014 | Molecular Ecology 23(19), 4757–4769
Rundel, C. W.; Wunder, M. B.; Alvarado, A. H.; Ruegg, K. C.; Harrigan, R.; Schuh, A.; Kelly, J. F.; Siegal, R. B.; DeSante, D. F.; Smith, T. B.; Novembre, J.
Published Work | 2013 | Molecular Ecology 22(16), 4163–4176
Smith, T. B.; Harrigan, R. J.; Kirschel, A. N.; Buermann, W.; Saatchi, S.; Blumstein, D. T.; de Kort, S. R.; Slabbekoorn, H.
Published Work | 2013 | Evolutionary Applications 6(6), 865–874
Hobson, K. A.; Van Wilgenburg, S. L.; Wassenaar, L. I.; Larson, K.
Published Work | 2012 | PLoS ONE 7(4)
Hera, I. D.; DeSante, D. F.; Milá, B.
Published Work | 2012 | The Auk 129(2), 222–230
Irwin, D. E.; Irwin, J. H.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2011 | Molecular Ecology 20(15), 3102–3115
Milá, B.; Toews, D. P.; Smith, T. B.; Wayne, R. K.
Published Work | 2011 | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 103(3), 696–706
Buermann, W.; Chaves, J. A.; Dudley, R.; Mcguire, J. A.; Smith, T. B.; Altshuler, D. L.
Published Work | 2010 | Global Change Biology 17(4), 1671–1680
Bonneaud, C.; Sepil, I.; Milá, B.; Buermann, W.; Pollinger, J.; Sehgal, R. N.; Valkiūnas, G.; Iezhova, T. A.; Saatchi, S.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2009 | Journal of Tropical Ecology 25, 439–447
Milá, B.; Wayne, R. K.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2008 | Condor 110(2), 335–344
Milá, B.; McCormack, J. E.; Castenada, G.; Wayne, R. K.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2007 | Proceedings of the Royal Society B 274(1626), 2653–2660
Milá, B.; Smith, T. B.; Wayne, R. K.
Published Work | 2006 | Evolution 60(11), 2403–2409
Milá, B.; Smith, T. B.; Wayne, R. K.
Published Work | 2006 | Molecular Ecology 16(1), 159–173
Ruegg, K.; Slabbekorn, H.; Clegg, S.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2006 | Molecular Ecology 15(11), 1487–1494
Kelly, J.; Ruegg, K.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2005 | Ecological Applications 15(5), 1487–1494
Smith, T. B.; Clegg, S. M.; Kimura, M.; Ruegg, K.; Milá, B.; Lovette, I.
Published Work | 2005 | Birds of Two Worlds: The Ecology and Evolution of Migration 223-231
Lovette, I. J.; Clegg, S. M.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2004 | Conservation Biology 18(1), 156–166
Hobson, K. A.; Wassenaar, L. I.; Milá, B.; Lovette, I.; Dingle, C.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2003 | Oecologia 136, 302–308
Clegg, S. M.; Kelley, J. F.; Kimura, M.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2003 | Molecular Ecology 12(4), 819–830
Smith, T. B.; Marra, P. P.; Webster, M. S.; Lovette, I.; Gibbs, L.; Holmes, R. T.; Rohwer, S.
Published Work | 2003 | The Auk 120(1), 218–221
Kimura, M.; Clegg, S. M.; Lovette, I. J.; Holder, K. R.; Girman, D. J.; Milá, B.; Wade, P.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2002 | Molecular Ecology 11(9), 1605–1616
Ruegg, K.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2002 | Proceedings of the Royal Society, London 269(1498), 1375–1381
Milá, B.; Girman, D.; Kimura, M.; Smith, T. B.
Published Work | 2000 | Proceedings of the Royal Society 267, 1033–1040
