Friday, April 25, 2014

Splendid and Turquoisine Parakeet Cross - A Question for Readers

A question for Readers: I know that if a canary is crossed with a green singing finch, their offspring will not be able to reproduce. They're essentially mules.
 
Is that also true of a cross between a Splendid Parakeet (or Scarlet-chested) and a Turquoisine Parakeet? Can their offspring reproduce? I'd guess not, but haven't found confirmation anywhere.
 

These photos are of a young bird parented by a male Splendid Parakeet and a female Turquoisine Parakeet. Photos were contributed by Miriana Loricchio, a bird breeder in Canada.
 

Anyone know the answer to our question?
 
Everything I've read confirms that Bourke Parakeets will not reproduce with any other variety of parakeet. It's interesting that Splendids and Turqs will accept one another as mates. I'm confident Bourkes and Splendids will pair off with one another too if another suitable mate isn't present. I've seen them do so, and even attempt to mate. But, fertile eggs do not result.
 
What about other interbreeding bird varieties? Anyone know of others that successfully reproduce? If so, can those younger birds choose mates of their own and reproduce with either of their parents' kind? I'd like to satisfy my curiosity.
 
Did you see my post about the Cockatiel and the Rose Breasted Cockatoo (or Galah) who presumably raised an offspring between them? If not, here is a link to it:
 
 
Peace & Blessings
 
 

2 comments:

neversink7 said...

scarlet chested and turquoisine hybrids are suppose to be infertile thankfully.

Cath Thomas said...

It should be avoided. It is already not easy to breed the species separately, and they are both endangered, so it would be much better to focus on breeding the original species.