Peregrine falcon4/25/2023 The locations of our study populations ranged from Russian Lapland in the west to the lower reaches of the Kolyma River in the east, enabling us to obtain continental-scale coverage of migratory peregrine populations in Eurasia. Selecting study locations to tag and sample peregrines in Arctic Eurasia is logistically challenging: the Russian arctic border zone is extremely remote and difficult to access and to gain the necessary permissions, both to visit and to fit satellite-received transmitters on a protected species. The application of satellite telemetry allowed us to obtain data on migratory behaviour, pathways and wintering areas for each of the populations we studied, while genome resequencing, building on a reference genome 2 previously generated by our team, would not only allow us to differentiate breeding populations, but also provide us with insights into their origins, evolution and maintenance. We were keen to discover the degree of migratory connectivity across Eurasia between breeding and wintering areas and to identify the extent of genetic variation across peregrine populations, represented by three widely recognized subspecies (i.e., Falco peregrinus peregrinus, F. The peregrine falcon’s name is derived from the practice of trapping young falcons on their autumn migration, or ‘pilgrimage’, by medieval falconers for whom the Medieval Latin term ‘ falco peregrinus’ meant ‘Pilgrim falcon’. The continental-scale migration system of Arctic peregrine falcons (modified from Figure 1 in the Nature paper doi: 10.1038/s41585-0) For example, how are bird migration routes formed? Is there a genetic basis to migration (and if so, what?) and how will climate change impact this important behaviour? To answer these questions, this week’s Nature 1, we established a continental-scale migration research system, studying Arctic breeding peregrine falcons (Picture 1 and 2) by integrating satellite telemetry and whole genome sequencing. ![]() ![]() However, the more we know, the more questions we raise. ![]() Nowadays, spectacular migration routes are increasingly being revealed as more and more bird species have been tracked. Since the 1980s, satellite tracking has proved a powerful tool in uncovering patterns of bird migration, with its application greatly advancing research in this field. Historically, to understand bird migration, scientists mainly used approaches such as field observations and ringing recovery, with techniques such as stable isotopes applied more recently. Flying peregrine falcon with a tag.īird migration has long been one of the most intractable research subjects particularly because of the great difficulties of collecting data in the field.
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