Red Lored..a mix of sub species?

[tawny30]

Hi guys Me again! Sick of hearing from me yet?
Haha..Ok I have a question. When I first got Laura. I was told she looked like a Mix of 2 possibly 3 of the subspecies by someone in the know about amazons..or I think they are.
Well since then I found out Laura is a wild caught bird. Her USDA tag seems to make that clear.
So ...do they readily mix in the wild? and does anyone here know red loreds enough to tell me if she is a mix?

[tawny30]

Oh and here is a full body shot of her again so you guys can see :)

[BiiRDiiELuV805]

Hi my dad has a red lored and no yours isnt a hybrid some red loreds dont get the little yellow cheek patches while others do, depends on the sub species, however they are endangered.

[tawny30]

Originally Posted by BiiRDiiELuV805

Hi my dad has a red lored and no yours isnt a hybrid some red loreds dont get the little yellow cheek patches while others do, depends on the sub species, however they are endangered.

Oh she has red patches. The person who told me they believed she was a mix of the subspecies based this on the lack of blue on her wings AND that her red on her cheeks bleeds into her yellow on her cheeks.
Yes, I heard they are endangered and was shocked to find out she was imported..since she was supposedly about 10
Nice to know you think she is pure though since I doubted she was a mix if she is wild caught.

[BiiRDiiELuV805]

shes beautiful, the red does "bleed" on some, i hope shes doing well. =]

[tawny30]

Originally Posted by BiiRDiiELuV805

shes beautiful, the red does "bleed" on some, i hope shes doing well. =]

It bleeds in quite a bit hehe..we say they are her freckles..
I just think it is odd because when I look around she does look a bit different then all the subspecies so who knows :)
But being a wild caught she probably isn't..I suppose it is a great mystery :)

Laura thanks you and I thank you. I think she is gorgeous ..then again mom is biased a bit :)

[Monica]

From my understanding, the main difference between species and subspecies, is that subspecies will readily hybridize in areas where the flocks come together... where-as species generally DO NOT hybridize, even when their flocks come together (but it's not unheard of for species to hybridize either... just not very common!)

So even if being a wildcaught, she could still be a hybrid... I don't really know much about amazons though to be able to give ya a good enough answer!

[jgee]

So, Monica's point is a good one. Sub-species are often based on different regions. In many cases, the regions overlap and in the overlapping areas the birds will interbreed. If a sub-species remains isolated long enough, without interbreeding, then it may become a new species. The reverse is also possible. A sub-species can disappear back into the general population.

There is a wonderful book that shows this process: The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time. The finches on the island of Daphne Major, over relatively short period of time, divide into different species or collapse back into common species--based on environmental conditions.

There is not such thing as a "pure" species. All species are a mix of diverse genes, coming from many different sources. Also, there is considerable individual variation within species, in some cases. Take dogs, they are all the same species but their variation is the greatest of any species.

[Sashagirl]

I had a Red Lored in the past and your Laura is beautiful.Just love her no matter what she is who cares if she's a hybrid.

[tawny30]

Oh she is totally my baby..that she is wild caught or whether she is a hybrid is merely curiousity :)
She is the sweetest, gentlest and funniest bird in my flock :)
But I always like to learn about the species I have around :)
Thank you all for your replies! Laura is my first amazon and I am SHOCKED at how sweet and gentle she is!
This is definitely her forever home (or until one of us passes on)
SO I am trying to learn all I can about amazons and such :)
I appreciate all the input immensely