Snowy vs. Kentish Plovers

[Ian Paulsen]

HI ALL:
 This was in the latest issue of The AUK (October 2009):

Kentish Versus Snowy Plover: Phenotypic and Genetic Analyses of Charadrius
alexandrinus Reveal Divergence of Eurasian and American Subspecies
Clemens Kpper, Jakob Augustin, Andr s Kosztol nyi, Terry Burke, Jordi
Flguerola, and Tam s Sz‚kely, K. T. Scribner Associate Editor
pg(s) 839852

 Abstract
ABSTRACT.
Many shorebird species have widespread geographic distributions comprising
several continents. Because shorebirds are excellent flyers and can
migrate large distances, it is often unclear whether reproductive barriers
between subspecies and populations from different continents exist.
Kentish-Snowy Plovers (Charadrius alexandrinus) are cosmopolitan
shorebirds. Whether the American and Eurasian subspecies-Snowy Plover and
Kentish Plover, respectivelyconstitute a single species is the subject of
a longstanding debate. We examined the divergence between American and
Eurasian populations to reassess the current taxonomy by comparing genetic
and phenotypic characters of the American subspecies C. a. nivosus and the
Eurasian subspecies C. a. alexandrinus from seven populations. Genetic
analyses revealed that American and Eurasian populations have strongly
diverged, the Kentish Plover being more closely related to the
White-fronted Plover (C. marginatus) than to the Snowy Plover. These
results were consistent across all assessed nuclear markers (26
microsatellites and a partial CHD sequence) and two mitochondrial markers
(ND3 and ATPase 6/8). Within subspecies, populations sampled across large
geographic distances were not genetically differentiated (all F st ó 0.01
and all èst ó 0.06), which suggests panmixia. Snowy Plovers differed
morphologically from Kentish Plovers, having significantly shorter tarsi
and wings. Chick plumage and calls also may serve as diagnostic characters
to distinguish Snowy and Kentish plovers, although more data are needed to
quantify these differences. Our combined results suggest that the
taxonomic status of C. alexandrinus needs to be revised, and we propose
that Kentish Plover and Snowy Plover be recognized as separate species: C.
alexandrinus and C. nivosus, respectively.

Are there any North American records of the Kentish Plover and are there
any Old World records of the Snowy Plover?

sincerely
--

Ian Paulsen
Bainbridge Island, WA, USA
" Which just goes to show that a
  passion for books is extremely unhealthy."
 from Cornelia Funke's "Inkheart".


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