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Comment
. 2022 Feb;76(2):359-361.
doi: 10.1111/evo.14390. Epub 2022 Jan 7.

A response to estimating hybridization in the wild using community science data: A path forward

Nicholas M Justyn  1 , Corey T Callaghan  2 , Geoffrey E Hill  1
Affiliations
Comment

A response to estimating hybridization in the wild using community science data: A path forward

Nicholas M Justyn et al. Evolution. 2022 Feb.

Abstract

When working with a citizen science database like eBird, there are many possible ways to filter or subsample observations. Here, we discuss the potential biases and assumptions that surround different subsampling approaches or filtering that can be done to the eBird database. Restricting observations to species that are known to frequently hybridize, a specific time of the year, or a specific location, has the potential to greatly inflate the calculated per-individual rate of hybridization. Such filtering also assumes that researchers know a birds' capacity to hybridize with all other species in its range, which we argue is an unfounded assumption. We ultimately conclude that a limited filtering approach is ideal when using a citizen science database to attempt to address a broad question such as: what is the per individual rate of hybridization across all of the bird species in the United States?

Keywords: Aves; citizen science; eBird; hybridization; speciation.

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References

LITERATURE CITED

    1. Callaghan, C. T., and D. E. Gawlik. 2015. Efficacy of eBird data as an aid in conservation planning and monitoring. J. Field Ornithol. 86:298-304.
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    1. Hill, G. E., and N. M. Justyn. 2021. A response to Justen et al. 2020: estimating hybridization rates in the wild: easier said than done? Evolution 75:2145-2147.

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