Abstract
Isozyme electrophoresis was used to reassess the taxonomic status of the endangered black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) and the pied stilt (H. himantopus leucocephalus), Order Charadriiformes, in New Zealand. A total of 28 loci was scored from 17 enzyme systems from a total of 115 birds (43 pied stilts, 53 hybrids and 19 black stilts). G‐tests of the allele and genotype frequencies at the two polymorphic loci (Mpi and Pgd) showed significant differences when black stilts, hybrids and pied stilts were tested together, implying there were two separate populations. Genetic distance between the two species (D = 0.006) was small, but the genetic data confirm that pied and black stilts are distinct at the species level.
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