Blood (Blood/1 Vial/Blood Buffer/Room Temperature)
For birds, blood is the preferred tissue type for nuclear DNA work, but less valuable than muscle for work that includes mtDNA analyses. We have provided 1.5 mL eppendorf tubes with a blood buffer storage solution (Longmire Buffer). The chemicals are not toxic, but this solution should not be ingested.
The buffer and any blood/buffer combination can be stored at room temperature until you return from the field, at which point they should be frozen. Only a few drops of blood are needed from each bird, enough to turn the buffer red (usually about 5 drops). Blood can be obtained by pricking the tarsus vein and transferring the drops to the tubes by way of capillary tubes (DO NOT USE heparinized tubes). Using a capillary bulb, blood can be blown from the capillary tube into the buffer after collection. If the blood clots inside the capillary tube, break off the tube inside the buffer vial and just leave it there. Blood can also be collected from the brachial or jugular vein with a sterile syringe. Use a new, sterile syringe for each individual.
Blood on filter paper (Blood/Whatman Filter Paper/Dry/Room Temperature)
5-6 drops of blood can be placed on filter paper (Whatman). The paper should be kept separate from other samples to avoid contamination. Allow the damp filter paper to dry and store separately in either: (1) a ziploc bag with silica gel, or (2) a separate envelope.
Blood Quills. (Blood Quills/1 Vial/Tissue Preservation Buffer/Room Temperature)
Blood quills are put into tubes containing tissue preservation buffer provided by our lab. Pull two or more blood quills from the bird. We recommend sampling wing coverts rather than emerging primaries and secondaries, which are more critical to flight. We extract DNA from the bloody “skin end” of the quill, so if the quills will not fit into the tube, trim off the feather tips, leaving the bloody ends (calamus) to put into the tube.
We strongly suggest that latex gloves be used when sampling, and that instruments be cleaned with 10% bleach between sampling. This prevents between-sample contamination and protects the collector from infectious diseases and any preservatives that may have been used in the skin’s preparation.
Tubes can be stored at ambient temperature for shipping.
Egg Shell Membranes (Egg shell membranes/1 Envelope/Dry/Room Temperature)
DNA yields from eggshell membranes are very good, provided there is vascularization on the membrane. The easiest field technique is to collect each membrane and place it in a separate plastic bag: placing all membranes in the same bag causes cross contamination of samples. We do not use the hard shell at all, so that portion can be left in the field. Do not store feathers and eggshells from the same nest in the same bag. Give the nest a number, and then label each feather or egg sample with that number (e.g., nest number 100 has feather sample number 100 and membrane sample numbers 100(1), 100(2), etc.).