title: Conservation of the Red Kite Milvus milvus (Aves: Accipitriformes) Is Not Affected by the Establishment of a Broad Hybrid Zone with the Black Kite Milvus migrans migrans in Central Europe.
abstract: Among Accipitriformes sensu stricto, only a few species have been reported to form hybrid zones; these include the red kite Milvus milvus and black kite Milvus migrans migrans. M. milvus is endemic to the western Palearctic and has an estimated total population of 20-24,000 breeding pairs. The species was in decline until the 1970s due to persecution and has declined again since the 1990s due to ingestion of rodenticide-treated baits, illegal poisoning and changes in agricultural practices, particularly in its core range. Whereas F1 M. milvus × M. migr. migrans hybrid offspring have been found, F2 and F3 hybrids have only rarely been reported, with low nesting success rates of F1 hybrids and partial hybrid sterility likely playing a role. Here, we analyzed the mitochondrial (CO1 and CytB) and nuclear (Myc) DNA loci of 184 M. milvus, 124 M. migr. migrans and 3 F1 hybrid individuals collected across central Europe. In agreement with previous studies, we found low heterozygosity in M. milvus regardless of locus. We found that populations of both examined species were characterized by a high gene flow within populations, with all of the major haplotypes distributed across the entire examined area. Few haplotypes displayed statistically significant aggregation in one region over another. We did not find mitochondrial DNA of one species in individuals with the plumage of the other species, except in F1 hybrids, which agrees with Haldane´s Rule. It remains to be investigated by genomic methods whether occasional gene flow occurs through the paternal line, as the examined Myc gene displayed only marginal divergence between M. milvus and M. migr. migrans. The central European population of M. milvus is clearly subject to free intraspecific gene flow, which has direct implications when considering the origin of individuals in M. milvus re-introduction programs.
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petr
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0703-951X
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heneberg
authors.affiliation: Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany and Zoology, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Matej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dolinay
authors.affiliation: Czech Society for Ornithology, Working Group for Protection and Research of Raptors and Owls, Březolupy, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hynek
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matušík
authors.affiliation: Rosenweg 1, Weimar, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.affiliation: Förderverein Sächsische Vogelschutzwarte Neschwitz e. V., Neschwitz, Germany.
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nachtigall
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bizos
authors.affiliation: Charles University in Prague, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Šimčíková
authors.affiliation: University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology, Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Literák
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D017753:Ecosystem; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe; D046093:Falconiformes; D006239:Haplotypes
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D045303:Cytochromes b; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV