Hybrids

Calvin

Thu, Nov 18, 2021 7:00 PM

In a perfect world, most birders would want birds that are easily identifiable and fit perfectly into neat little boxes. The reality is that nature is messy, and many birds do not fit into the neat little boxes that we call species.

Hybrid birds (when birds’ parents are two different species, but are closely related) annoy birders because they are not “countable” and this means that often, they do not get the attention they deserve.

But in fact, hybridization is one of the most fascinating elements of ornithology!

Why do they happen? What is happening genetically to these birds? How can birders identify them? And how does your high school biology class relate to all of this?

Join us as Calvin tackles this hybrid mix of questions!