Characterisation of 13 microsatellite loci for the Moluccan Cockatoo, Cacatua moluccensis, and Cuban Amazon, Amazona leucocephala, and their conservation and utility in other parrot species (Psittaciformes)

The parrot family consists of approximately 330 species, many of which are endangered due to habitat destruction and illegal trade. Microsatellite markers can provide important tools for examining both conservation and forensic issues in this family, and the availability of additional markers will prove useful for studies of other species in the parrot family. Parrots have proved a difficult family from which to develop microsatellites and cross-species amplification is generally lower than expected. This paper details 13 microsatellite loci isolated from the Moluccan Cockatoo and Cuban Amazon and their conservation in other species of parrots.