Karyotypes of four passerine birds belonging to the families Turdidae, Mimidae, and Corvidae.

Abstract

The karyotypes of four passerine bird species are described: Robin (Turdus migratorius), family Turdidae; Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum), family Mimidae; Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), and Common Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), both family Corvidae. Diploid numbers and chromosome morphology of related species previously studied are compared with the results of the present study. Karyotypes of all the studied species have considerable similarities in the whole appearance and size grouping of the chromosomes within the karyotype, but detailed morphological analysis shows a clear difference between the karyotypes of the different species.