Polymorphic microsatellite loci from Sprague’s pipit (Anthus spragueii), a grassland endemic passerine bird

Nicholas G. Crawford¹, Maureen B. Peters¹, Cris Hagen¹, Travis C. Glenn^2,1,
Stephen K. Davis^3,4, and Christopher M. Somers⁴

¹Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
²Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
³Canadian Wildlife Service, 300-2365 Albert Street, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4P 4K1
⁴Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4S 0A2

Abstract: We developed 11 novel microsatellite loci for Sprague’s pipit (Anthus spragueii), a songbird endemic to the Northern Great Plains of central North America. These loci were screened in 21 individuals from southern Saskatchewan, Canada. All 11 loci were polymorphic, with the number of alleles per locus ranging from five to 23, polymorphic information content from 0.312 to 0.947, and observed heterozygosity from 0.476 to 0.900. These loci will be suitable for a wide variety of studies on pipit natural history, ecology, and conservation.