The first results from the education raptor DNA gender analysis are in! 

Several weeks ago, blood was drawn from eight of our non-releasable education birds for DNA analysis to determine their sex.  WCV volunteer Vince Formica, a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Virginia, is working with colleagues Dr. Elaina Tuttle and Marisa Korody at the Molecular Ecology Laboratory at Indiana State University.  As part of a study to perfect a DNA-based method for sexing birds, Vince and Elaina have offered to use their techniques to determine the sex of some of our education birds. 

While it doesn’t matter to us if our educational animal ambassadors are male or female, we thought it would be an interesting exercise, and would also give Vince and colleagues an opportunity to practice their techniques.

After running several tests a few different times, we have results for round one!  The first three birds that show conclusive results are:  Alex, Grayson, and Mama G’Ho.

Alex:   Alex the Eastern Screech-owl was admitted to The Wildlife Center in November 2007.  S/he was found by a road in Wythe County, Virginia.  Alex had a left wing fracture and damage to both eyes.  While the wing fracture healed, Alex cannot be released back to the wild because of limited vision.

The staff’s guess:  While the pre-testing staff tally was fairly split, most thought that Alex was a male.

The DNA test result:  Female!  Good thing the name “Alex” can be used either way!

Grayson:  Grayson the Broad-winged Hawk was found as a young bird in June of 2010 in Grayson County, Virginia.  S/he had fallen out of the nest and suffered a fractured right humerus, as well as injury to the patagium – the skin covering the leading edge of the wing.  WCV veterinarians sutured the hole in the patagium and bandaged the wing; however, the fracture did not heal completely straight, and scarring on the patagium left Grayson unable to fully extend the injured wing.

The staff’s guess:  Nearly all of the staff assumed that Grayson is a male due to his small size.

The DNA test result:  Male! 

Mama G’Ho:  Mama G’Ho, the Great Horned Owl, came to the Wildlife Center from Henrico County, Virginia, in December 2001.  She had sustained injuries to her feet and wings, likely  after she was struck by a vehicle. Despite rehabilitation, Mama G’Ho never regained her ability to fly silently, which is critical to the hunting success of owls in the wild.

Because noisy flight would inhibit her ability to survive independently, she cannot be released back into the wild. Though she is unable to return to the wild herself, Mama G’Ho has played a very important role at the Wildlife Center as a surrogate mother for any young, orphaned Great Horned Owls that we admit. After their initial examination and treatment, young owlets are moved into Mama G’Ho’s enclosure, where she helps them develop natural owl behaviors. Our staff takes great care to keep Mama G’Ho from becoming comfortable around humans – by keeping her “wild,” we can ensure that the owlets she raises will survive, and thrive, on their own.

The staff’s guess:  Well, it’s pretty clear that the staff have always thought Mama is female, due to her large size and incredible feistiness!

The result:  Male!  Oops … sorry, Mama … er … Papa?  The staff were surprised to learn that our well-known Mama is actually a male.  A name change seems in order!

We expect results on Pignoli, Quinn, Gustavo, Misty, and Great Horned Owl #10-2051 later this spring or summer!

Through the Center’s Caring for Critters program, you can “adopt” Alex, Grayson, or Papa G’Ho  … or one of the Center’s other education animals.  Your Caring for Critters donation helps provide food, shelter, and medical care for the sponsored animal … supports the Center’s educational programs … and helps provide state-of-the-art emergency care to thousands of animals admitted to the Wildlife Center each year.