Initial sample collection in The Bahamas
We captured Kirtland’s Warblers on Cat Island, The Bahamas, in March and
April of 2017 and 2018 using vocalization playback and mist nets. We
classified individuals into two age categories (SY = second calendar
year or ASY = after second year), sexed individuals following Pyle
(1997), and attached a USGS metal band and three plastic colored bands.
We then fitted a coded radio-tag (0.35g, Model = NTQBW-2, Lotek
Wireless, Inc.) using a modified leg-loop harness (Rappole and Tipton
1991). Tags emitted coded pulses at regular intervals (29.3 s), which
allowed for individual identification through handheld or automated
telemetry receivers (Taylor et al. 2017). After attaching the
radio tags, we collected fecal samples by placing birds in a wax paper
bag for up to ten minutes. We transferred fecal materials from the bag
to Whatman FTA Cards (Whatman, Florham Park, NJ) using Whatman sterile
swabs (Whatman, Florham Park, NJ).