Population genetic structure of the European kestrel Falco tinnunculus in Central Poland

International audienceWe analysed the genetic structure of the European kestrel population of Central Poland using nine highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Samples were collected in two urban locations (Warsaw and Łódź) and two rural areas. Sampling locations were at nearly equal distances from each other along an east to west line. We performed genotyping in a total of 99 birds. The results revealed the presence of a genetic structure in the population investigated. Bayesian clustering indicated that samples originated from more than one population. Genetic differentiation was less pronounced among the birds nesting in Warsaw and in the two rural sites, whereas all pairwise comparisons with the Łódź population indicated moderate and significant genetic differentiation. The observed pattern of differentiation might have been caused by two factors: changes in allele frequency between seasons and/or the founding of the urban population of Łódź from a different source population than the urban population from Warsaw. Additionally, we found a rather high gene flow among kestrels from the Warsaw urban area and the two investigated rural areas