Using molecular tools to guide management of invasive alien species: assessing the genetic impact of a recently introduced island bird population

Aim: Biological invasions are a major threat to island biodiversity and are responsible for a large proportion of species declines and extinctions worldwide.

in the field. Molecular techniques, however, facilitate identification of specific hybridization events and assessment of the direction and timing of introgression. We use molecular markers to track hybridization in a population of an island endemic bird, the Aldabra fody (Foudia aldabrana), following the recent discovery of a co-occurring population of non-native Madagascar fodies (Foudia madagascariensis).

Location: Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles.

Methods: We combine phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear markers to assess whether hybridization has occurred between F. madagascariensis

originate from the neighbouring island of Assumption, where they were introduced in the 1970s.

Main conclusions: Our results validate the threat of losing the unique genetic diversity of F. aldabrana through admixture due to recent invasion of F. madagascariensis. We show that molecular analyses can be a valuable tool in formulating strategies for the management of invasive birds.