Research and Education Centre for Natural Sciences, Keio University, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-8521, Japan.
Published: June 2020
AI Article Synopsis
Article Abstract
The Japanese sparrowhawk is a small raptor that breeds in Northeast Asia. The species consists of the widespread and mostly migratory subspecies that is common in East Asia, including Japan, and the resident and endangered subspecies which inhabits the Ryukyu and Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa, southern Japan. Given the minimal knowledge about the migration of the species, in this study we sought to compare the genetic variation of the populations breeding in Japan with those migrating through Southeast Asia. We sequenced 761 bp of mitochondrial DNA Control Region from each of 21 collected during the breeding season in Japan and from 20 individuals intercepted on migration in Thailand. We detected 26 haplotypes among the 41 individuals which differed significantly between Japan and Thailand. Migrants in Thailand were presumed to have originated from a wide area in Eastern Eurasia. The phylogenetic and network analyses demonstrated that the haplotypes of all detected in Japan were genetically close. Moreover, the Okinawa haplotypes of were clustered with moderate genetic variation. The information presented here can be used towards implementing future conservation actions.
Previous studies have shown that the threat level posed by a predator can vary with physical features. In this study, we tested whether the wing posture of a raptor could serve as a clue for bird threat assessment. We observed the behavioral response of Japanese tits Parus minor to taxidermy dummies Eurasian sparrowhawks Accipiter nisus with either spread wings and closed wings.
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China. Electronic address:
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The Japanese sparrowhawk is a small raptor that breeds in Northeast Asia. The species consists of the widespread and mostly migratory subspecies that is common in East Asia, including Japan, and the resident and endangered subspecies which inhabits the Ryukyu and Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa, southern Japan. Given the minimal knowledge about the migration of the species, in this study we sought to compare the genetic variation of the populations breeding in Japan with those migrating through Southeast Asia.
