More hybrids – corellas this time
By Birding-Aus, on June 25th, 2014
There is a large flock of little corellas that squawks around the Southern Highlands of NSW. Amongst them are a few long-billed corellas. In addition there are a few individuals with intermediate length bills of various sizes and some colour variations (including pink). Peter Dewey and I are wondering if these are hybrids between the little and long-billed corellas. The only peer reviewed reference we can find is (Ford, J (1985) Emu 85, 163-180) who did not find evidence of such hybridisation, but considered that the long-billed corella was still evolving. The aviculture literature, however, refers to hybridisation between long-billed corellas and galahs (or Major Mitchell cockatoos) to enhance colouring; hybridisation with little corellas is not mentioned. In the Southern Highlands flock, are we seeing (a) hybridisation between little and long-billed corellas, (b) hybridisation between long-billed corellas and galahs (occasional pink colouration suggests this), or (c) a morphological range in the genetically unstable long-billed corellas (not all the intermediate billed individuals show pink colouration). Or all or some of the above! We’d appreciate comments and discussion! Simon R Robinson BUNDANOON NSW 2578 Phone:+61 2 4883 7186| Mobile: 0412 252 177 _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hm ! Not fussy are they. —–Original Message—– Nikolas Haass Sent: Wednesday, 25 June 2014 5:50 PM Cc: ‘Birding Aus’ Hi all, According to E.M. McCarthy¹s Handbook of Avian Hybrids (2006, OUP), the following combinations with Little Corella occur (except for x sulphurea apparently all in the wild): Cacatua sanguinea [Little Corella] x galerita [Sulphur-crested C.] x leadbeateri [Major Mitchell¹s C.] x pastinator [Western C.] x roseicapillus [Galah] x sulphurea [Lesser Sulphur-crested C.] x tenuirostris [Long-billed C.] x Callocephalon fimbriatum [Gang-gang C.] Nikolas A/Prof Nikolas Haass | Head, Experimental Melanoma Therapy Group The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute Level 6 | Translational Research Institute | 37 Kent Street | Woolloongabba QLD 4102 T: +61 (0)7 3443 7087 | M: +61 (0)424 603 579 F: +61 (0)7 3443 6966 E: n.haass1@uq.edu.au | W: http://www.di.uq.edu.au …Turning scientific discoveries into better treatmentsŠ CRICOS Code 00025B This email is intended solely for the addressee. It may contain private or confidential information. If you are not the intended addressee, you must take no action based on it, nor show a copy to anyone. Kindly notify the sender by reply email. Opinions and information in this email which do not relate to the official business of The University of Queensland shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by the University _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
Hi all, According to E.M. McCarthy¹s Handbook of Avian Hybrids (2006, OUP), the following combinations with Little Corella occur (except for x sulphurea apparently all in the wild): Cacatua sanguinea [Little Corella] x galerita [Sulphur-crested C.] x leadbeateri [Major Mitchell¹s C.] x pastinator [Western C.] x roseicapillus [Galah] x sulphurea [Lesser Sulphur-crested C.] x tenuirostris [Long-billed C.] x Callocephalon fimbriatum [Gang-gang C.] Nikolas A/Prof Nikolas Haass | Head, Experimental Melanoma Therapy Group The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute Level 6 | Translational Research Institute | 37 Kent Street | Woolloongabba QLD 4102 T: +61 (0)7 3443 7087 | M: +61 (0)424 603 579 F: +61 (0)7 3443 6966 E: n.haass1@uq.edu.au | W: http://www.di.uq.edu.au …Turning scientific discoveries into better treatmentsŠ CRICOS Code 00025B This email is intended solely for the addressee. It may contain private or confidential information. If you are not the intended addressee, you must take no action based on it, nor show a copy to anyone. Kindly notify the sender by reply email. Opinions and information in this email which do not relate to the official business of The University of Queensland shall be understood as neither given nor endorsed by the University On 25/06/14 5:53 PM, “Philip Veerman” < pveerman@pcug.org.au> wrote: _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org
We have exactly the same situation in Canberra, where the Little Corella has become abundant recently. It has reached 12th most common species in the most recent compiled years Garden Bird Survey (2012/13), from being almost non occurring here until 1988. With small numbers of Long-billed Corellas and, going by appearances and some observed behaviours, some very likely hybrids. Whether any hybrids are of domestic origin is unknown (somewhat likely maybe but generally not often suggested). It seems odd that “aviculture literature, however, refers to hybridisation between long-billed corellas and galahs (or Major Mitchell cockatoos) to enhance colouring; hybridisation with little corellas is not mentioned.” I strongly suspect that is simply a reflection of the interests of the authors or what they might be attempting to achieve or what they think hobbyists might like to know about, rather than any lesser likelihood or occurrence of hybridisation between corellas. Philip —–Original Message—– Simon Robinson Sent: Wednesday, 25 June 2014 2:29 PM Cc: Peter Dewey There is a large flock of little corellas that squawks around the Southern Highlands of NSW. Amongst them are a few long-billed corellas. In addition there are a few individuals with intermediate length bills of various sizes and some colour variations (including pink). Peter Dewey and I are wondering if these are hybrids between the little and long-billed corellas. The only peer reviewed reference we can find is (Ford, J (1985) Emu 85, 163-180) who did not find evidence of such hybridisation, but considered that the long-billed corella was still evolving. The aviculture literature, however, refers to hybridisation between long-billed corellas and galahs (or Major Mitchell cockatoos) to enhance colouring; hybridisation with little corellas is not mentioned. In the Southern Highlands flock, are we seeing (a) hybridisation between little and long-billed corellas, (b) hybridisation between long-billed corellas and galahs (occasional pink colouration suggests this), or (c) a morphological range in the genetically unstable long-billed corellas (not all the intermediate billed individuals show pink colouration). Or all or some of the above! We’d appreciate comments and discussion! Simon R Robinson BUNDANOON NSW 2578 Phone:+61 2 4883 7186| Mobile: 0412 252 177 _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org _______________________________________________ Birding-Aus mailing list Birding-Aus@birding-aus.org To change settings or unsubscribe visit: http://birding-aus.org/mailman/listinfo/birding-aus_birding-aus.org