Isolation and characterization of 23 microsatellite loci in the black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) and amplification in other Ciconiiformes waterbirds

We isolated 23 polymorphic microsatellite loci of tetranucleotide, dinucleotide or compound repeat motif in the black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor). In a panel of up to 20 individuals, number of alleles per locus ranged from two to 19 (mean = 8) and heterozygosity from 0.278 to 0.950 (mean = 0.606). Allele frequencies of five loci deviated from that expected under Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, and one of them was likely Z-linked. Excluding these loci, the remaining 18 loci should provide a sufficient set of molecular markers for use in ecological and conservation genetic investigation of this globally endangered wader species, and cross-species amplification test suggests that they are potentially useful in other Ciconiiformes waterbirds.