Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in a cooperatively breeding corvid, the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

We describe 11 microsatellite loci isolated from the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), the most wide-spread cooperatively breeding bird in North America. Polymorphism at these loci ranged from four to 43 alleles, and observed heterozygosities from 0.53 to 0.92. Genetic parentage analyses using these markers will allow us to describe the mating system of this common but socially complex species, and to interpret their behavioural interactions in light of relatedness.