Possible Hybrid - Canada (1 Viewer)

snowyowl

Well-known member

• May 22, 2019

• #1

These two RBGR visited my feeders during the last two days. I suspect that the one with the orange breast markings may be a hybrid. Sibley's shows something somewhat similar and calls it a hybrid Black-headedxRose-breasted Grosbeak. I would be very interested to hear what other people think.

 

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birdmeister

Well-known member

• May 22, 2019

• #2

Very interesting! Hybrids definitely do occur.

However, besides breast color this looks like a normal adult RB Grosbeak to me. I wonder if this is like the sometimes-reported "orange variant" Scarlet Tanagers, though I've never heard of that happening with Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.

very interested to hear what others think.

 

snowyowl

Well-known member

• May 22, 2019

• #3

Thanks for the reply. Yes, it would be great to hear what others think.

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• May 22, 2019

• #4

I thought I had posted a question: what is the size of the orange area compared to the size of the rosy area on a normal bird? It looks large?

Niels

 

nartreb

Speak softly and carry a long lens

• May 22, 2019

• #5

birdmeister said:

besides breast color this looks like a normal adult RB Grosbeak to me..

Click to expand...

Agree with this. Completely normal nape color, vent color, beak color, etc. Even the breast color lacks any cinnamon-brownish tones that would point toward BH Grb.

Sibley's illustration of a hybrid shows a "messier" color on flanks, belly, collar, nape, supercilium, and a darker bill. Online photos of hybrids all show similar irregularities in varying degrees.

I think a pigment deficiency (single point mutation? deletion? nutritional causes?) is a more likely explanation in this case.

 

jmepler

It's just a flesh wound.

• May 22, 2019

• #6

Xanthochroism is a condition where individual birds of a given species may have yellowish or orange plumage instead of red. This may be caused by a genetic variation or by diet. I believe that this is what we are seeing here.

 

Birdbrain22

Well-known member

• May 23, 2019

• #7

I see this as a RBGR with a slight off-colored breast due to one of the factors mentioned above.

 

snowyowl

Well-known member

• May 23, 2019

• #8

Good to read all the opinions. I'll file this away as a normal variation caused by one of the various reasons given. Thanks!