Complete mitochondrial genome of little ringed plover Charadrius dubius (Charadriiformes, Charadriidae).

This study encoded the complete mitochondrial genomic sequence of the little ringed plover Charadrius dubius. The mitochondrial genome has a total length of 16,864 bp, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and a control region. The nucleotide composition was 23.8% T, 31.6% A, 30.8% C, and 13.8% G. This study provides the basic information on the mitogenome of C. dubius and supports the understanding of mitogenomic information and its phylogenetic relationship within Charadriiformes.

Bridging the Local Persistence and Long-Range Dispersal of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (HPAIv): A Case Study of HPAIv-Infected Sedentary and Migratory Wildfowls Inhabiting Infected Premises.

The past two decades have seen the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) infections that are characterized as extremely contagious, with a high fatality rate in chickens, and humans; this has sparked considerable concerns for global health. Generally, the new variant of the HPAI virus crossed into various countries through wild bird migration, and persisted in the local environment through the interactions between wild and farmed birds. Nevertheless, no studies have found informative cases associated with connecting local persistence and long-range dispersal. During the 2016-2017 HPAI H5N6 epidemic in South Korea, we observed several waterfowls with avian influenza infection under telemetric monitoring. Based on the telemetry records and surveillance data, we conducted a case study to test hypotheses related to the transmission pathway between wild birds and poultry. One sedentary wildfowl naturally infected with HPAI H5N6, which overlapped with the home range of one migratory bird with H5-specific antibody-positive, showed itself to be phylogenetically close to the isolates from a chicken farm located within its habitat. Our study is the first observational study that provides scientific evidence supporting the hypothesis that the HPAI spillover into poultry farms is caused by local persistence in sedentary birds, in addition to its long-range dispersal by sympatric migratory birds.

Breeding biology of two wagtail subspecies on Ulleung Island, Korea: Amur Wagtails, Motacilla alba leucopsis and Black-backed Wagtails, M. a. lugens.

There is much controversy over the species and subspecies status of the white wagtail complex, which is further compounded by interbreeding between two subspecies, the Amur Wagtail (Motacilla alba leucopsis) and the Black-backed Wagtail (M. a. lugens). This study presents preliminary information on the breeding biology of both subspecies on Ulleung Island, Korea, over two breeding seasons (2012-2013). Mixed pairs of the two subspecies were common on this island, with almost 50% of all pairs being heterotypic or intermediate pairs; however, assortative mating was still present. Females of both subspecies were more likely to be paired with Amur wagtail males, whereas intermediate females were more likely to be paired with Black-backed Wagtail males. Clutch size, egg size and mass, and reproductive parameters (such as hatching success and nest success) did not significantly differ from each other. However, the mean values were low in intermediate pairs. Our results indicate no reproductive barrier between the two subspecies, but that some post-isolating mechanisms are still in progress.