Pie Gets a Friend

[amanda143]

Here is pie and sammy. We think sammy is a peachface/black mask hybrid. She's a beauty!

[mayaexquisite]

Yup, hybrid. With a dark factor!

[amanda143]

I read somewhere that hybrid lovebirds are mules. Is this correct?

[mayaexquisite]

Yes, they're supposedly sterile. I don't have personal experience with them, though, since eyering (Masked, Fishers, etc) and non-eyerings (Peachfaced) aren't supposed to be bred in the first place...

I do remember reading somewhere that hybrids CAN breed with other eyerings and successfully have babies, but cannot breed with non-eyerings. I'm trying to find where I read that and I'm not being successful right now. Please don't quote me on this, because everything I've read so far states that they're sterile and haven't mentioned exceptions. Hehe.

[amanda143]

Yeah, I saw at the flea market someone selling one just like this as a "Rare Lovebird Hybrid" for $400. Kinda krazy.

[expressmailtome]

Originally Posted by mayaexquisite

Yes, they're supposedly sterile. I don't have personal experience with them, though, since eyering (Masked, Fishers, etc) and non-eyerings (Peachfaced) aren't supposed to be bred in the first place...

It is not only eyering & non-eyering pairings that are not supposed to be made. Exspecially different eyering species should not be bred as the hybrids can sometimes be mistaken for purebreds. This causes the bloodlines to be mixed. Also, this has been frequently done in the past so as to bring different mutations to the other species.

Matt

[Monica]

I've heard that hybrid eye-rings are fertile, and hybrid peachfaces are infertile. However, I think it may vary with peachfaces. (conflicting info)

I will say first and foremost there's a lot of bad information on hybrids.... with that in mind, here's some pages that may have some enlightenment
HYBRIDIZATION
HYBRIDISM S.W.O.T. (never came across this page before, but I like it! need to read it over!)
Hybridization
HYBRID LOVEBIRDS
No to Hybrids ! ?
A DISCUSSION OF HYBRID ZONES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS TO CLASSICAL SPECIES CONCEPTS AND NORTH AMERICAN AVIAN TAXONOMY
Bird Hybrids A check-List with Bibliography (this one is interesting)


And that's a lot of links from one place!


$400 for a hybrid lovebird? Sounds ridiculous unless the parents are rather expensive themselves! (Galatiel - galah x cockatiel. Both birds in Australia sell for $50-$150.... the breeder was offered as much as $15,000 for the hybrid! - but then that is an abnormal pairing in the first place! and the first of it's kind!)

[mayaexquisite]

Matt: Yes, I would assume mixing species of any kind would be frowned up since bloodlines get mixed... sorry, I was being specific to this particular bird. Hehe.

Monica: Yes, eyering x eyering hybrids are fertile.

Amanda: I get SO irked when pet stores display these hybrids as a NEW mutation and charge a ridiculous price for them!! It's so sad because a sucker is gonna see that and go "OOOOOOOH!" and buy them thinking they're rare and new. Now, obviously existing hybrids need love too... But I wish people would be more concerned with who their birds pair up with. Another reason why I hate bird mills!!!

[Cat]

Lovely new Lovebird, I've a Lovebird and it doesn't like my Budgie so i'm afraid to get a friend for it....not sure what to do ...I was told that it thinks i'm it's mate cause of it always being with me and not sure if it's male or female yet