There are two subspecies of willow warblers Phylloscopus trochilus breeding in Sweden. In autumn, the southern subspecies P. t. trochilus migrates over the Iberian Peninsula to western Africa whereas the northern subspecies P. t. acredula migrates over the Balkans to eastern and southern Africa. The project aims to describe the differential passage of the two subspecies as they pass the island Öland in the Baltic. Although they cannot be separated by plumage or size they can be identified by genetic analyses of three regions in the genome.
Fieldwork. Daily catching of willow warblers (mist-nets) in a forest close to Gammalsby, Öland, between 15 August and 7 September. Ringing, measurements and collection of blood samples. Expected number of samples around 150.
Labwork. DNA extraction and genotyping (SNP-qPCR) in order to identify the subspecies (4-6 weeks).
Prediction. The dates of passage will be earlier for the subspecies trochilus than for the subspecies acredula.
Further reading: Sokolovskis et al 2023 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-35788-7
Required knowledge
Experience with handling songbirds. Before the start of the project, you will need to take the course in laboratory animal science for birds. Experience with molecular labwork preferred, but can be learnt within the project.
Masters project. Length can be adjusted to 30, 45 or 60 credits depending on preferences.
Start date
1 August 2026
Contact info
Staffan Bensch, staffan.bensch@biol.lu.se