Eleven new polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Red-billed chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

We obtained molecular markers useful for population level studies of the Red-billed chough by screening partial genomic DNA libraries enriched for microsatellite repeats. We developed 11 microsatellite loci and genotyped 33 individuals from the populations of La Palma, Canary Islands. The loci had between 5 and 11 alleles and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.333 to 0.878. All of these pairs of primers also successfully amplified DNA from the other congeneric species, the Alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus). These microsatellite markers will be useful to assess the genetic diversity of the species.Peer Reviewe