cooke-morphologicalmodelforsexing-2007.pdf (56.14 kB)
A morphological model for sexing nestling peregrine falcons (Falco Peregrinus Macropus) verified through genetic analysis
journal contribution
posted on 2007-02-27, 00:00 authored by Victor Hurley, Fiona Hogan, John WhiteJohn White, Raylene CookeRaylene CookeAdult peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus macropus) have monotypic plumage and display strong reversed sexual dimorphism, with females significantly larger than males. Reversed sexual dimorphism is measurable among nestlings in the latter stages of their development and can therefore be used to differentiate between sexes. In the early stages of development, however, nestlings cannot be sexed with any degree of certainty because morphological differentiation between the sexes is not well developed. During this study we developed a model for sexing younger nestlings based on genetic analysis and morphometric data collected as part of a long-term banding study of this species. A discriminant function model based on morphological characteristics was developed for determining the sex of nestlings (n = 150) in the field and was shown to be 96.0% accurate. This predictive model was further tested against an independent morphometric dataset taken from a second group of nestlings (n = 131). The model correctly allocated sex to 96.2% of this second group of nestlings. Sex can reliably be determined (98.6% accurate) for nestlings that have a wing length of at least 9 cm using this model. Application of this model, therefore, allows the banding of younger nestlings and, as such, significantly increases the period of time over which banding can occur. Another important implication of this model is that by banding nestlings earlier, they are less likely to jump from the nest, therefore reducing the risk of injury to both the brood and the bander.
History
Journal
Wildlife researchVolume
34Issue
1Pagination
54 - 58Publisher
CSIRO PublishingLocation
Collingwood, Vic.Publisher DOI
ISSN
1035-3712eISSN
1448-5494Language
engPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
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