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Dry Weather and Snow-Covered Ground Improved Genetic Monitoring From Rock Ptarmigan Droppings

Rock ptarmigan perched on a lichen-covered rock in Finnmark, Norway
Research · Other research

Fresh rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) droppings collected on dry days and from snow-covered ground produced the most reliable genetic samples in a two-year study in the French Alps. The work, published in Wildlife Biology on 5 August 2026, tested whether late-spring feces can be used for non-invasive monitoring of individual birds.

The researchers collected 338 fecal samples during two spring seasons and attempted to genotype them at 19 microsatellite markers. Microsatellites are short, repeated DNA regions that vary among individuals; combining several markers can therefore create a genetic fingerprint for distinguishing birds. Of the full sample, 103 produced usable genotypes, an overall success rate of 30.5%. Success differed sharply between years: 41.2% of samples were usable in 2021 compared with 24.7% in 2022. Five markers with null alleles were removed; the remaining 14 markers allowed the 103 usable samples to be assigned reliably to 26 individual birds.

Field conditions shaped genotyping success

Field conditions mattered. Fresh, well-preserved feces performed better, and samples collected on snow were usable more often than those from grass or rock. The authors therefore recommend collecting fresh samples on dry days and, when possible, from snow-covered ground, where cold and dry conditions slow DNA degradation. Samples collected within two metres of one another at the same roost belonged to the same bird, but beyond such roosts distance did not reliably indicate identity. To reduce duplicate sampling, the authors recommend taking only one sample per roost and spacing other samples by more than two metres.

Uric acid complicated DNA extraction

The laboratory work revealed a second complication. Uric acid can reduce the efficiency of DNA extraction from bird feces, even though a visible uric-acid tip can help indicate that a sample is fresh. The authors therefore stress that extraction kits and protocols must be compatible with this material rather than simply applying procedures that work well for mammal feces.

The study addresses a practical monitoring problem: rock ptarmigan are difficult to see, capture and survey in high-elevation terrain. Late-spring fecal sampling can identify individuals genetically, but the 30.5% overall success rate shows how strongly the result depends on sample condition, weather and laboratory protocol.

Sources and image credit

  1. Charbonnel, E., Lauer, E., Zimmerman, S., Lapébie, P., & Aleix-Mata, G. (2026). From field to lab, facilitating non-invasive genetic survey. Lessons from an arctic bird living at the edge, the rock ptarmigan in the French Alps. Wildlife Biology, 2026, e01687. https://doi.org/10.1002/wlb3.01687Primary open-access short communication, Version of Record online 5 August 2026. Researchers collected 338 rock ptarmigan fecal samples over two spring seasons in the French Alps and genotyped 19 microsatellite loci. 103 samples produced usable genotypes (30.5% overall); success was higher for fresh, well-preserved samples and the authors recommend sampling on dry days and snow-covered ground.
  2. Charbonnel, E., Aleix-Mata, G., & Lapébie, P. (2026). Data from: From field to lab, facilitating non-invasive genetic survey. Lessons from an Arctic bird living at the edge, the rock ptarmigan in the French Alps. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.w9ghx3g3vSupporting dataset published 22 June 2026, containing consensus microsatellite genotypes and sampling-year information for identified individuals.

Image: Wild rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) in Varanger Regional Park near Båtsfjord, Finnmark, Norway, 6 June 2026. Photo: Lucwrte / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Representative species image; not a bird from the French Alps genetic-monitoring study. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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