Identification and molecular classification of passeriform birds in Kabul province

Abstract

It is thought that the passiform order of bird has monophyletic origin.. However, new studies show that many passerine families are not monophyletic in traditional classifications, and a more complete understanding of Passeriform phylogeny is possible only by conducting extensive molecular studies. Therefore, this molecular study was conducted to evaluate the passiform birds of Kabul Province, Afghanistan. Samplings were collected from ten already marked stations during three stages in Kabul province in 2019 and 2021 years, including Deh Sabz, Bagrami, Sarubi, Khak Jabar, Shekar Dara, Gol Dara, Paghman, Char Asiyab, Andrabi Road and Kafroshi. Totally 190 samples were taken using a net. Miss net was collected and 110 samples were taken to the laboratory. After the morphological studies, it was identified by the identification key that all the species belong to the Passeriform order. These species belong to 13 families, 23 genera and 35 species, of which the family of yellow-winged moths is the most diverse with 7 species and the family of sparrows is the most abundant with 45 individuals. After performing morphometry, the samples were transferred to the laboratory for molecular studies and DNA extraction and COX1 gene sequencing to identify the species in the tree drawn by Bayesian method which shows the position of genera and species within families and superfamilies. In this study, genus Passer with four species, genus Motacilla with one species, genus Carduelis with one species, genus Emberiza with six species and genus Serinusa with one species were included in the superfamily Passerioiodea. The genus Corvus with one species and the genus Lanius with one species were included in the Corvida clade. Two species of the genus Luscinia with one species of the genus Muscicapa and one species of the genus Acridotheres were included in the superfamily Muscicapoidea. Two species of the genus Hirundo, one species of the genus Phylloscopus, one species of the genus Ripria, one species of the genus Sitta, one species of the genus Sylvia and one species of the genus Eremophila were included in the superfamily Sylvioidea.