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Do the European Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) reach South Africa during wintering?

Mátrai, Norbert ; Bakonyi, Gábor ; Gyurácz, József ; Hoffmann, Gyula ; Raijmakers, Kobie ; Neto, Julio LU and Mátics, Róbert (2012) In Journal of Ornithology 153(2). p.579-583
Abstract
Former studies have shown that the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) has two genetically distinguishable haplogroups (a ‘‘western’’ and an ‘‘eastern’’ clade). The species occurs in South Africa from January to late March, yet, in the whole database of EURING, there are no recoveries to the south of the Congo. There are at least three hypotheses concerning which birds are seen wintering in South Africa: (1) the European breeders reach South Africa, but there are no ringing recoveries; (2) a mixed population of birds originating from Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan (Near and Middle East) winters in South Africa; and (3) birds from Europe and the Near and Middle Eastern populations both reach South Africa. We have sequenced a 492-bp... (More)
Former studies have shown that the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) has two genetically distinguishable haplogroups (a ‘‘western’’ and an ‘‘eastern’’ clade). The species occurs in South Africa from January to late March, yet, in the whole database of EURING, there are no recoveries to the south of the Congo. There are at least three hypotheses concerning which birds are seen wintering in South Africa: (1) the European breeders reach South Africa, but there are no ringing recoveries; (2) a mixed population of birds originating from Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan (Near and Middle East) winters in South Africa; and (3) birds from Europe and the Near and Middle Eastern populations both reach South Africa. We have sequenced a 492-bp part of the mtDNA control region II in 146 samples from five European breeding and one South African wintering population of Great Reed Warblers. The results show that over 60% of the wintering birds in South Africa carry European haplotypes, belonging to both ‘‘eastern’’ and ‘‘western’’ clades. Since the exact haplotypic constitution of the Near and Middle Eastern populations are not known to us, we cannot exclude that a mixed wintering population is formed from birds originating from these regions, but it seems more likely that the European breeders reach South Africa. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Great Reed Warbler, mtDNA, Control region II, South Africa
in
Journal of Ornithology
volume
153
issue
2
pages
579 - 583
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000304734700035
  • scopus:84860462660
ISSN
2193-7192
DOI
10.1007/s10336-012-0818-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ed7eff6b-2006-495e-9c22-8d5d32f8df0d (old id 2861056)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:06:27
date last changed
2022-03-27 22:23:07
@article{ed7eff6b-2006-495e-9c22-8d5d32f8df0d,
  abstract     = {{Former studies have shown that the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) has two genetically distinguishable haplogroups (a ‘‘western’’ and an ‘‘eastern’’ clade). The species occurs in South Africa from January to late March, yet, in the whole database of EURING, there are no recoveries to the south of the Congo. There are at least three hypotheses concerning which birds are seen wintering in South Africa: (1) the European breeders reach South Africa, but there are no ringing recoveries; (2) a mixed population of birds originating from Turkey, Iran and Kazakhstan (Near and Middle East) winters in South Africa; and (3) birds from Europe and the Near and Middle Eastern populations both reach South Africa. We have sequenced a 492-bp part of the mtDNA control region II in 146 samples from five European breeding and one South African wintering population of Great Reed Warblers. The results show that over 60% of the wintering birds in South Africa carry European haplotypes, belonging to both ‘‘eastern’’ and ‘‘western’’ clades. Since the exact haplotypic constitution of the Near and Middle Eastern populations are not known to us, we cannot exclude that a mixed wintering population is formed from birds originating from these regions, but it seems more likely that the European breeders reach South Africa.}},
  author       = {{Mátrai, Norbert and Bakonyi, Gábor and Gyurácz, József and Hoffmann, Gyula and Raijmakers, Kobie and Neto, Julio and Mátics, Róbert}},
  issn         = {{2193-7192}},
  keywords     = {{Great Reed Warbler; mtDNA; Control region II; South Africa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{579--583}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Ornithology}},
  title        = {{Do the European Great Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) reach South Africa during wintering?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0818-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10336-012-0818-2}},
  volume       = {{153}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}