Molecular techniques for sex identification of captive birds

Molecular Techniques for Sex Identification in Birds

In many bird species, males and females cannot be discriminated on the basis of external characteristics. The problems associated with reliable sex identification were overcome by introducing the molecular techniques in the 1990s. These techniques are generally based on DNA hybridization or polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This paper reviews the sexing techniques, highlighting their advantages ...

Free-ranging birds Captive birds Songbirds Free-ranging birds Captive birds Waterfowl Free-ranging birds Captive birds Herons and allies Free-ranging birds Captive birds Pigeons and doves Free-ranging birds Captive birds

Cause Chlamydiosis refers to an infection with organisms of the genus Chlamydia sp., which are bacteria that live within animal cells. Chlamydia psittaci is the species generally associated with this disease in birds. The severity of the disease differs by the strain of C. psittaci and the susceptibility of different species of birds. As a result, chlamydiosis may range from an inapparent infec...

Captive Breeding of Birds

Primary sex ratios in birds: problems with molecular sex identification of undeveloped eggs.

Sex allocation studies seek to ascertain whether mothers manipulate offspring sex ratio prior to ovulation. To do so, DNA for molecular sexing should be collected as soon after conception as possible, but instead neonates are usually sampled. Here, we aim to identify and quantify some of the problems associated with using molecular techniques to identify the sex of newly laid avian eggs. From b...

A welfare approach for captive wild birds