Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci to DNA fingerprint the powerful owl (Ninox Strenua)

An enriched microsatellite library was constructed for the Powerful Owl (Aves; Strigiformes: Ninox strenua) from which 14 polymorphic microsatellite markers were characterized. Forty individuals (32 unrelated and four pairs of siblings) were genotyped to determine the application of these markers for genetic profiling. The mean observed and expected heterozygosity for unrelated individuals was 0.53 and 0.59, respectively. We demonstrate that this suite of markers is sufficient to unequivocally identify individuals and will be beneficial in assessing the population genetics and reproductive ecology of this species.