GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL METHODS FOR GENDER IDENTIFICATION OF MOUNTAIN QUAIL

Mountain quail (Oreortyx pictus) breeding biology is poorly understood in part because sexes of birds cannot be readily identified. We demon strated that presence or absence of high-molecular-weight microsatelli te DNA of the repeated sequence thymine-cytosine-cytosine ([TCC],) acc urately indicates mountain quail gender. Genetic methods correctly ide ntified the sex of all 18 (12 F, 6 M) mountain quail tested. Additiona lly, for 30 of 31 captive mountain quail, we evaluated such morphologi cal characteristics as plumage color of the neck, hypothesized to be a ssociated with mountain quail gender. No single morphological characte ristic (i.e., wing, tarsus, claw, and head plume length, body mass, an d head width) consistently indicated gender. Despite controlling for a ge, stage of molt, and environmental factors among captive quail, pres ence or absence of olive feathers on key areas of the neck and upper b reast failed to indicate gender for individuals within each sex. Three of 18 females resembled males in lacking olive feathers laterally on the upper neck. Three of 12 males resembled females in exhibiting oliv e feathers laterally on the lower neck. Using presence of olive feathe rs at the junction of pectoral and sternal feather tracts as a female- specific characteristic incorrectly indicated the gender of 3 of 30 (1 0.0%) quail (1 F, 2 M).