Isolation and characterization of dinucleotide microsatellite loci in communally breeding Guira cuckoos (Aves: Cuculidae)

Guira cuckoos (Guira guira) are communal nesting birds endemic to South America that show high levels of conflict between members of the group over the contribution to the clutch. Adults eject eggs and even nestlings from the communal nest, sometimes leading to the loss of the entire brood. We developed seven polymorphic microsatellites for Guira cuckoos using an enrichment protocol. The number of alleles ranged from 5 to 14 (mean 9.86) and the heterozygosity ranged from 0.41 to 0.89 for the eight to 88 individuals screened. These loci will allow parentage assignments and population analysis in this species.