Research Task: 8327CNJ.3.0
Task Manager: Sara Oyler-McCance
White-winged Doves (Zenaida asiatica) are avidly sought by hunters in states having large white-wing populations and where it is hunted with specific hunting seasons designed to prevent local overharvest. More knowledge is needed on population characteristics, including population demography in both the Central Flyway and Pacific Flyway portions of the species’ range, to set hunting regulations. Information should be specific by age and gender since hunting could overexploit one gender or age class. Gender determination of White-winged Doves based on examination of live birds is difficult. Thus, a rapid and effective method is needed to ascertain gender of White-winged Doves in banding programs, especially those that are likely to result in the capture of large numbers of individuals. Preliminary work suggests that a method is available to accurately classify captured White-winged Doves by gender. FORT geneticists are testing the efficiency of this method using molecular techniques to validate the resulting gender determinations.
For more information contact Sara Oyler-McCance
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://www.fort.usgs.gov/Research/research_tasks.asp
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