Bird hybrid

  A bird hybrid is basically a bird that has two different species as parents. The resulting bird can present with any combination of characters from the parent species, from totally identical to completely different. Usually, the bird hybrid shows intermediate characteristics between the two species. A “successful” hybrid is one demonstrated to produce fertile offspring.

Additional recommended knowledge

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Recognition

The description of bird hybrids results from observations in nature combined with those obtained in captivity such as in zoos per example.

There are no field guides that illustrates bird hybrids. The photographs, illustrations and descriptions can be found in the literature or on websites. There is, depending on the literature, anywhere between 9,900 and 10,000 bird species throughout the world.

Examples sorted taxonomically

• Goose hybrids, including Canada Goose x Greylag Goose, Emperor Goose x Canada Goose, Red-breasted Goose x Canada goose, Canada Goose x White-fronted Goose and Barnacle Goose x Canada Goose see also Gamebird hybrids.
• "Swoose" (swan x goose) [1]
• Hybrid ducks of the genus Aythya, including birds which are a mixture of Tufted Duck, Greater Scaup, Pochard, Ferruginous Duck and Ring-necked Duck
• Other hybrid ducks, including Northern Pintail x Mallard, Ruddy Duck x White-headed Duck, Ruddy Shelduck x Common Shelduck, White-faced whistling duck x Plumed Whistling Duck, Baikal teal x Northern Pintail, Hooded merganser x Smew, Eurasian Wigeon x American wigeon and Mallard x New Zealand Black Duck. See also Mariana Mallard and Gamebird hybrids.
• Gamebird hybrids, including Capercaillie x Common Pheasant, Capercaillie x Black Grouse ("Rackelhahn") and Lady Amherst's Pheasant x Golden Pheasant see also Gamebird hybrids
• Hybrids of domestic fowl, including Chicken x Common Pheasant, Chicken x Guinea fowl, and Guinea fowl x Peafowl see also Gamebird hybrids
• Hybrid gull, including Glaucous Gull x Herring Gull and Lesser Black-backed Gull x Yellow-legged Gull

see main article hybridisation in gulls

• Several other families of Charadriiformes (shorebirds/waders)

see main article Hybridisation in shorebirds and Cox's Sandpiper

• Red Kite x Black Kite (unintended, in a falconry center)
• Parrot hybrids, including

inter-familial hybrids :

i.e.

Neophema chrysostoma (blue-winged Parakeet) X Nymphicus hollandicus (Cockatiel Parakeet)

A spurious record given that inter-familial hybridization in birds is generally unheard of.

inter-generic hybrids :

i.e.

Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus (Hyacinth Macaw) X Ara ararauna (Blue & Gold Macaw) commonly known as the 'Caloshua' Hybrid Macaw ;

Eolophus roseicapillus (Rose-breasted or Galah Cockatoo) X Nymphicus hollandicus (Cockatiel) commonly named the 'Galatiel' Hybrid Cockatoo ;

Platycercus eximius (Easterned or Golden-mantled Rosella) X Psephotus haematonotus (red-rumped Parakeet)...

inter-specific hybrids :

i.e.

Amazona ocrocephala (Yellow-crowned Amazon) X A. auropalliata (Yellow-naped Amazon) ;

Ara ararauna (Blue & Gold Macaw) X A. macao (Scarlet Macaw) commonly known as either the 'Catalina' (worldwide) &/or the 'Rainbow' (primarily in Australia) Hybrid Macaw ;

Aratinga jandaya (Janday Conure) X A. solstitialis (sun Conure) commonly known as the 'Sun-Day' Hybrid Conure...

intra-specific hybrids :

i.e.

Eclectus roratus solomonensis (Solomon Island's Eclectus) X E. r. vosmaeri (Vosmaeri's Eclectus) commonly known as the 'Solo-Vos' Eclectus,

Psittacula krameri krameri (African-ringnecked aka ARN Parakeet) X P. k. manillensis (Indian-ringnecked aka IRN Parakeet, a common feral species in parts of Europe)

• Captive songbird hybrids, such as Mules, (Canary x British Finch) and crosses of finch species.

Topics related to speciation

• Species problem
• Allopatric vs. sympatric speciation
• Sexual selection and speciation
• Islands as "natural laboratories" for exploring speciation
• Species concepts -- biological vs. phylogenetic
• "Instant speciation" via polyploidy etc.
• Ecological vs. genetic speciation
• Punctuated equilibrium evolution and speciation
• Shifting balance theorem
• Haldane's rule