Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.9
2.8
Journals
Genes
Special Issues
Conservation Genetics of Birds
share announcement

Conservation Genetics of Birds

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (6 April 2026) | Viewed by 1191

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Robert Rutkowski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
Interests: conservation genetics; population genetics and phylogeography of birds and butterflies; population genetics of wild animals in urban environments

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to current estimates, up to one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction, falling into one of three IUCN categories—Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable. Nearly 1000 additional species are classified as Near Threatened (BirdLife International). This highlights the urgency and need for global and effective solutions for the conservation of these animals. For many years, conservation efforts have been supported by biological information obtained through molecular genetics. These studies cover a wide range of topics, from the genetic monitoring of populations and tracking demographic processes to estimating the genetic diversity of endangered species, determining the evolutionary and phylogeographic relationships between populations requiring genetic reinforcement (genetic rescue) in order to select the best source populations for (re)introduced individuals and to identify Evolutionarily Significant Units or Management Units. We want this Special Issue of Genes to be dedicated to precisely these topics in the field of bird conservation genetics. We encourage you to present the latest advances in this broad range of studies, focusing on the use of molecular methods in the preservation of bird biodiversity. 

Dr. Robert Rutkowski
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • conservation genetics
  • birds
  • aves
  • endangered species
  • molecular markers
  • genetic diversity
  • genetic distance
  • isolated populations
  • non-invasive sampling
  • genetic monitoring
  • reintroduction
  • inbreeding
  • outbreeding
  • evolutionary significant units
  • management unit

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 1364 KB  
Article
Applicability of Non-Invasively Collected Eurasian Goshawk (Astur gentilis) Moulted Feathers for Whole Genome Sequencing Analysis
by Ineta Kalnina, Ance Roga, Dita Gudra, Edgars Liepa, Otars Opermanis, Imants Jakovlevs, Janis Klovins and Davids Fridmanis
Genes 2026, 17(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes17020193 - 4 Feb 2026
Viewed by 785
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Non-invasive samples offer an attractive alternative to logistically challenging invasive approaches in wildlife genetic studies but often contain low-quality host DNA that limits downstream analyses. Here, we assessed the applicability of moulted Eurasian goshawk feathers as a DNA source for whole-genome [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Non-invasive samples offer an attractive alternative to logistically challenging invasive approaches in wildlife genetic studies but often contain low-quality host DNA that limits downstream analyses. Here, we assessed the applicability of moulted Eurasian goshawk feathers as a DNA source for whole-genome re-sequencing. Methods: We analysed 75 moulted feathers collected opportunistically from breeding territories. Each feather was measured from tip to tip, and its condition was visually assessed. Whole-genome re-sequencing was performed with a target coverage of 13× using 150 bp paired-end reads. Results: Feathers yielded an average of 7.19 ± 10.93 ng/μL DNA. DNA yield was positively correlated with feather size and the presence of blood traces in the calamus. On average, feather samples performed well, producing 208.7 ± 59.82 million reads, of which 82.69 ± 27.15% aligned to the reference genome, resulting in 83.58 ± 19.02% of the genome being covered at least once. After quality filtering, 10.34 ± 3.11 million biallelic single-nucleotide variants remained, of which 457,745 were common variants (MAF > 0.05). Larger feathers in good condition, with higher DNA yields and blood traces in the calamus, tended to perform better throughout the re-sequencing workflow. Nevertheless, approximately 22.7% of samples failed due to high missing data or poor genotype quality. Conclusions: Performance varied substantially even among samples with similar characteristics, indicating that improved sample selection incorporating direct measures of host DNA quality may be beneficial. Despite these challenges, moulted feathers represent a readily available DNA source for genome-wide re-sequencing of medium- to large-sized raptor species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation Genetics of Birds)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop