questions on a Mulga / Redrump hybred

[buddabelly]

I have a male Mulga and a female normal Redrump who appear to have paired off and are doing the nest box thing.

I have read that they will crossbreed, but am curious if anyone has experience with this.

Will the babies if any be viable, will they be able to breed or sterile and does anyone have any idea as to what they might look like.

Any help would be appreciated, Thanks in advance.

[birdlady49]

Can you post a photo of the mulga? When I googled it, I was told it's a plant. I suspect you're not asking about breeding a plant to a parrot! Most of us are familiar with the red rump....

[buddabelly]

I hope Photobucket works here lets give it a try. This is my male Mulga who has decided he prefers a Redrump girlfriend. They are paired and they have even been attempting to mate for the last few days.

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...2/IMG_0009.jpg

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g2...2/IMG_0008.jpg

[Monica]

The Mulga Parakeet, Psephotus varius, is also known as the Many-Colored Parakeet, and may be considered a grass parakeet.

I have no experience and don't know of anyone who does. The offspring will probably be viable/fertile considering that Mulgas and Red Rumps belong to the same genus... As to what they'll look like? A cross between each parent, with the possibility of looking more like one species over the other (as there are some macaw hybrids out there that to the inexperienced eye look like a pure species).


IMO however, you should not allow these two to reproduce. Give them proper mates of their own species or do not allow them to breed at all.

[buddabelly]

why would you not let them breed? They chose each other, she had other redrump males to pick and Mr. Mulga won the competition. I am sure that accidental crossigs happen in the wild. And as they are my "fids" as you put it why shouldn't they get to breed with the mate of their choice.

Even my tiels and keets are already breeding though it has been a warm winter in Az. The only girls waiting are the Bantams and the Arucanas. Is this only here in the far south or has this been everywhere?

Sorry the reply took so long my keyboard died and I had to replace.

[birdlady49]

Hybridization is usually frowned upon because many of these birds are endangered in the wild. It is up to us humans to keep the species pure so that they don't become extinct.

Yes, birds will oftentimes select another species for their mates in the wild for various reasons. We can't control that but we can only hope we don't lose the purity of the individual species. Case in point: The spix macaw. There was one male left in the wild so he selected a mate of another species. I don't recall any stories as to whether or not they were successful in breeding attempts. But apparently that sole spix male has died because he hasn't been spotted in years.

If it weren't for breeding programs around the world, the spix would be extinct, along with the dodo and carolina parakeet among others.

So even though the red rump and mulga may not be on the brink of extinction, it is your responsibility to keep the lines pure. So please do not hybridize.

[Monica]

It's really all about the morality and ethics of hybridization. Being that they are separate species it is not very likely that they would hybridizie. If they were subspecies of one nominate species then they MAY hybridize in the wild if their territories overlap....

A good example, lions and leopards share the same territorries in Africa yet they are very unlikely to reproduce with eachother even though they belong to the same genus, Panthera.

Likewise, Timor (Cacatua sulphurea parvula) and Citron Crested (Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata) Cockatoos are subspecies of the Lesser Sulphur Crested Cockatoo Cacatua s. sulphurea. The Timor and Citron Crested toos may hybridize with eachother or with the nominate species, the Lesser Sulphur Crested in the wild where their territories overlap.