Genetic diversity and the implications of captive rearing for a small population of Black‐tailed Godwits

• DOI: 10.1111/ibi.13400
• Publication Date: 2025-03-13T05:18:55Z
• Authors: Jennifer Smart; Yvonne I. Verkuil; Krijn B. Trimbos; Nicola C. Dessi; Rebecca Lewis

Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa clutches have been collected for headstarting, a captive rearing intervention where eggs are taken from the wild and artificially incubated, chicks reared in captivity to fledging, before being released into wild. This conservation measure has reduced local extinction risk UK population, but it may impacts on genetic diversity population viability, especially when wild‐sourced must be small population. Comparing of 42 pairs with much larger breeding Netherlands (~30 000 pairs), we found that levels heterozygosity inbreeding not currently compromised, allelic richness was significantly different Dutch relatedness estimates suggest 6.1% individuals closely related, at level half‐sibling up, compared 1.9% Increasing could further deplete variation, absence immigration or introduction other populations.