Construction of Research Aviaries at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Tropical manakins are an extraordinary group of birds with numerous physiological and anatomical adaptations that underlie their magnificent social systems and courtship routines. Whereas previous study of these birds has been performed on wild populations, aviaries built at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Gamboa Panama will be used to maintain birds in captivity under semi-natural (surrounded by forest) conditions. Some birds housed in these aviaries will be used for breeding purposes to enable collection and study of manakin embryos and hatchlings. Other birds will be used for long-term study of the development of behavior, for hormonal or behavioral manipulations, for physiological measures using miniaturized telemetry, for hybridization studies and for tissue collection from birds of known lineage and behavioral and physiological condition. Importantly, the study of manakins is now in an excellent position to progress rapidly as a very high quality genomic sequence is now available for the golden-collared manakin (Manacus vitellinus) of Panama, and genomes have recently been completed for two other genera. These resources create excellent potential for using genetic resources to understand how these behavioral, physiological and morphological phenotypes develop. Recently, a cohort of manakin biologists was awarded a NSF Research Coordination Network (RCN) grant to stimulate genome-enabled, multidisciplinary study of this bird group. The research objectives of this group, as well as that of many other avian biologists, will be able to progress more rapidly by the study of birds in these semi-natural captive conditions. In addition, the presence of STRI scientists as well as the large number of visiting scientists that visit STRI in Gamboa will encourage collaboration and the creation of new scientific endeavors with application to other vertebrates and even humans. Moreover, video coverage of the birds in the aviaries will be made available to the public for teaching purposes. For more information please visit http://www.stri.si.edu/.