# Genome assemblies of Nuttall’s White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli) and Rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)

## TL;DR

This paper provides high-quality genome assemblies for two Zonotrichia sparrow species, offering insights into their genetics and evolution.

## Contribution

The study presents the first high-quality genome assemblies for Nuttall’s white-crowned and rufous-collared sparrows.

## Key findings

- The NWCS genome assembly is 1.12 Gb and anchored to 30 chromosomes with 96.6% complete BUSCOs.
- The RUFS genome assembly is 1.11 Gb and anchored to 27 chromosomes with 96.9% complete BUSCOs.
- The assemblies will support research on genetic divergence, vocal learning, and climate change responses in sparrows.

## Abstract

The Zonotrichia sparrows, belonging to the Passerellidae family, are widely studied for their vocalizations and genetic diversity. Here, we present two high-quality genome assemblies for Zonotrichia species; the northern hemisphere Nuttall’s white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli, NWCS) and the southern hemisphere rufous-collared sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis chilensis, RUFS). These assemblies were assembled using PacBio long-reads and Omni-C chromatin conformation technology, integrated with RNA-sequencing data to provide genome annotations. The NWCS assembly comprises 1.12 Gb anchored to 30 chromosomes, while the RUFS assembly includes 1.11 Gb on 27 chromosomes. Both assemblies exhibit high completeness and contiguity, with 96.6% and 96.9% complete BUSCOs (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs) for NWCS and RUFS, respectively. These genome assemblies provide valuable resources for future research on genetic divergence, vocal learning, evolution and responses to climate change within the Zonotrichia genus.