X Breeding in the wild.

By Birding-Aus, on September 2nd, 2015

I recently went back to Reedy Swamp at Shepparton where I photographed a cock Yellow Rosella feeding a Crimson Rosella hen which he had called out of the hollow they were nesting in last year, I found him again feeding her but could not find any of last year’s young around the area. Is this a common occurrence and if so what are the colours of the young, do they look like Adelaide Rosella’s which can vary from very light (Yellowish)to dark colours (Reddish- Orange) in the orchards in the Adelaide Hills ? Do they interbreed further down the Murray or don’t the Crimsons exist further downstream ? I have seen plenty of Crimsons and Eastern crosses and there are several pairs of Eastern x Pale-headed crosses on the Gold Coast. Galah X Corella used to be seen around Echuca years ago and there is a flock of several birds of Galah x Corellas I photographed at Denmark W A Many Major Mitchells, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and Corella crosses can be found in aviaries around the country including a Red-rumped X Adelaide Rosella once bred by mistake in an aviary. Most Neophemas x breed in aviaries which is a pity and Princess have been crossed with Regents In W A, Red-rumped and Mulgas will breed if kept in the same aviary which often happens in Zoos etc. Regents and Red-winged Parrots will interbreed also if housed with each other. Barney.

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pveerman

September 3, 2015 at 2:52 pm

Yes Crimson x Eastern Rosella hybrids are not so uncommon (certainly in Canberra). Though it is odd to happen that much, when both species are common. Hybrids would appear more likely when one species is rare. These are interspecific hybrids which are of course (normally) much less common that hybrids between members of the same species, such as Crimson and Yellow Rosella at the region where the two forms meet. The questions are about how frequent these events are and whether the hybrids are able to attract a mate and are fertile and form an intergradation zone. Typically in the case of Crimson and Yellow Rosella they do as they are the same species so it is debatable as to whether they should be called hybrids any more than interracial people pairings. Crimson x Eastern Rosella are not the same species. But the whole thing highlights that the context of species boundaries and definitions is not always clear. Philip —–Original Message—– John Leonard Sent: Thursday, 3 September 2015 7:39 AM I don’t know whether the Canberra suburbs qualify as ‘the wild’ but a male crimson x eastern rosella has been around our patch for at least the last ten years (same individual). It’s intermediate in size between the two and is very handsome e with its Crimson and yellow plumage. It hangs around with a female eastern, but I have never seen them with young. John Leonard Albury-Wodonga region. I saw a mixed pair many years ago near teh Bandiana Army Camp. The first house we lived in (near Nailcan Hill) often had mixed pairs with an odd mix of young birds – some looked like Yellows, some Crimsons and yes many looked like Adelaides). I only get Yellows in the house we are now in (which is only about 200 metres away but closer to town and further from eth bush). I only see Yellows in the street trees in the CBD. At Beechworth only Crimsons are found. get into the serious mountains then only Crimsons occur. well, so probably where the foothills meet the river this occurs reasonably regularly. SA, whereas the mainland are all Adelaide types. had a hybrid male Eastern/Pale-headed breeding with a female Eastern. Don’t see many pure Pale-heads in the Tweed Valley, but they are more common on the Gold Coast. Brunswick Heads where both species would be locally introduced. him do be the

September 3, 2015 at 2:12 pm

All very interesting my curiosity is around the word “probably” in: “Cross-fostered C. roseicapilla are probably responsible for those cases of hybridisation in the wild between and C. leadbeateri that have been reported.” It sounds like a very plausible working hypothesis and likely to be true. But is it. Philip —–Original Message—– Graeme Chapman Sent: Thursday, 3 September 2015 10:24 AM Cross breeding in closely related parrots in the wild is well known, but the reasons why and the associated life history mechanisms are not. Many years ago when, with Ian Rowley, I was lucky enough to study Major Mitchell’s Cockatoos for some years in Western Australia, we were able to document, using marked individuals, just what happens. This was published in the journal “Behaviour”, the paper entitled “CROSS-FOSTERING, IMPRINTING AND LEARNING IN TWO SYMPATRIC SPECIES OF COCKATOO” in Vol 96, Issue 1, pp 1-16. For those unable or less inclined to access this reference, the abstract reads:- Two species of cockatoo, the galah Cacatua roseicapilla and Major Mitchell”s Cockatoo C. leadbeateri are sympatric throughout much of Australia. Both species nest in tree-hollows of similar dimensions at the same time of year. Their eggs which are very similar are laid every other day and are not incubated until at least three have been produced. Parent birds often forage a long way from the nest and so the early eggs are largely unattended. Sometimes a pair of C. roseicapilla and one of C. leadbeateri both “own” the same hollow and contribute eggs to the clutch. When confrontation finally arises the C. roseicapilla being smaller, lose out and the C. leadbeateri unknowingly incubate a mixed parentage clutch, and may rear a young C. roseicapilla with their own offspring. Such cross-fostered C. roseicapilla behave as, and associate with C. leadbeateri; they ignore other C.roseicapilla. Parts of their behaviour repertoire are inate, parts are the result of imprinting and parts, of later learning. They learn to fly and call like C. leadbeateri and they also adopt the latter’s much more varied diet. Cross-fostered C. roseicapilla are probably responsible for those cases of hybridisation in the wild between and C. leadbeateri that have been reported. So essentially, the initial reason for all this is a shortage of nest hollows. Parrots, on the whole have traditional nest sites, that is they use the same one year after year, so if an interloper comes along and pops an egg in early in the peace, that’s where the story really starts. My memories of watching one of our main young imprinted galahs, tagged NO, are still vivid after 40 years; seeing her leading the flock of 50 or so Majors, flying like a Major, calling like a Major – always at the head of the flock because the galah had difficulty flying slowly enough. It was rather sad to watch her when she eventually became adult and tried cuddling up to a handsome young male Major Mitchell, only to be continually rejected by him, and effectively in limbo. For a long while I’ve been meaning to write an illustrated version of this story for a more popular magazine. I have a stunning picture (made by me) of a Galah looking at its reflection in a puddle where the reflection is actually a Major Mitchell which I entitle ” Mirror, mirror on the wall ……..” Graeme Chapman

mcachard

September 3, 2015 at 11:42 am

Thanks Graeme, that is absolutely fascinating! But maybe I’ve misread something – how would the Galah looking into its own reflection actually have its reflection being a Major Mitchell’s?? Please explain… thanks, martin cachard trinity beach cairns

calyptorhynchus

September 3, 2015 at 7:38 am

I don’t know whether the Canberra suburbs qualify as ‘the wild’ but a male crimson x eastern rosella has been around our patch for at least the last ten years (same individual). It’s intermediate in size between the two and is very handsome e with its Crimson and yellow plumage. It hangs around with a female eastern, but I have never seen them with young. John Leonard

sittella

September 2, 2015 at 9:24 pm

Barney, Crosses of Crimosn and Yellow Rosella are a regular occurrence in the Albury-Wodonga region. I saw a mixed pair many years ago near teh Bandiana Army Camp. The first house we lived in (near Nailcan Hill) often had mixed pairs with an odd mix of young birds – some looked like Yellows, some Crimsons and yes many looked like Adelaides). I only get Yellows in the house we are now in (which is only about 200 metres away but closer to town and further from eth bush). I only see Yellows in the street trees in the CBD. At Beechworth only Crimsons are found. Not certain how much further upstream the Yellows extend, but once you get into the serious mountains then only Crimsons occur. I vaguely recall seeing a mixed pair at Gundagai on the Murrumbidgee as well, so probably where the foothills meet the river this occurs reasonably regularly. The more interesting thing is the “Crimson” Rosella on Kangaroo Island in SA, whereas the mainland are all Adelaide types. My parents near Murwillumbah on the north coast of NSW have for many years had a hybrid male Eastern/Pale-headed breeding with a female Eastern. Don’t see many pure Pale-heads in the Tweed Valley, but they are more common on the Gold Coast. Dad also reckoned he had wild Long-billed and Little Corellas near Brunswick Heads where both species would be locally introduced. Cheers, Peter

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X Breeding in the wild.

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