Hybridisation in shorebirds
Hybridisation in shorebirds has been proven on only a small number of occasions; however, many individual shorebirds have been recorded by birdwatchers worldwide that do not fit the characters of known species. Many of these have been suspected of being hybrids. In several cases, shorebird hybrids have been described as new species before their hybrid origin was discovered. Compared to other groups of birds (such as gulls), only a few species of shorebirds are known or suspected to hybridise, but nonetheless, these hybrids occur quite frequently in some cases.
Hybrids in the Scolopaci (sandpipers and allies)
"Cooper's" and "Cox's" sandpipers
An apparently new sandpiper species ("Cooper's sandpiper Tringa/Calidris cooperi") was described in 1858 based on a specimen collected in 1833 on
Cox's sandpiper, described as a new species (Calidris paramelanotos) in 1982,[3] is now known to be a stereotyped hybrid between males of the pectoral sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) and female curlew sandpipers.[4] It is known from nearly two dozen sightings since the 1950s, almost all of which are from Australia, with one record from Massachusetts.[5][6] and another from Japan.[7]
Other hybrid scolopacids
An unusual stint at Groote Keeten in the Netherlands was initially thought to be that country's first record of the least sandpiper, but showed anomalous features for that species, and was postulated to instead be a hybrid between little stint (Calidris minuta) and Temminck's stint (Calidris temminckii).[8]
Putative hybrids between the dunlin (Calidris alpina) and the white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) have been occasionally seen in northeastern North America.[9][10] In Europe an apparent hybrid between the dunlin and the purple sandpiper (Calidris maritima) has turned up.[11]
Hybridisation has been reported between the buff-breasted sandpiper (Calidris subruficollis) and the white-rumped sandpiper (or possibly Baird's sandpiper, Calidris bairdii) on multiple occasions in North America.[citation needed]
Courtship and copulation have also been observed between common (Actitis hypoleucos) and spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularia), but there are no records of hybrid offspring.[12]
Occurrence of intrageneric hybridisation has been reported between the common and the green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus).[citation needed]
Hybridisation in the Charadrii (oystercatchers, stilts and avocets, and plovers)
Hybridisation between
The "avostilt" or "stavocet" is a hybrid between black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) and American avocet (Recurvirostra americana), occasionally found in California.[14] One such bird was accidentally bred in the San Francisco Zoo in 1971 and lived at least until 1974. The avocet was the father and the stilt the mother of this individual, which apparently was a male.[15]
The nearly
A Pluvialis plover wintering with a flock of European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) near Marksbury, England, in 1987 was believed to be possibly a hybrid between that species and Pacific golden plover (Pluvialis fulva).[17]
In 1990, a Northern lapwing and a Sociable lapwing bred in Finland, but the eggs failed to hatch.
See also
- Bird hybrid
- Hybridisation in gulls which also belong in the order Charadriiformes
References
- ^ Cox, John B. (1990). "The enigmatic Cooper's and Cox's Sandpiper". Dutch Birding. 12: 53–64.
- ^ Cox, John B. (1990). "The measurements of Cooper's Sandpiper and the occurrence of a similar bird in Australia" (PDF). South Australian Ornithologist. 30: 169–181. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-18.
- ^ Parker, Shane A. (1982). "A new sandpiper of the genus Calidris". South Australian Naturalist. 56: 63.
- JSTOR 1369559.
- ^ Vickery, P. D.; Finch, D. W.; P. K. Donahue (1987). "Juvenile Cox's Sandpiper (Calidris paramelanotos) in Massachusetts, a first New World occurrence and a hitherto undescribed plumage". American Birds. 41 (5): 1366–1369.
- ^ Buckley, P. A. (1988). "The World's first known juvenile Cox's Sandpiper". British Birds. 81 (6): 253–257.
- ^ Ujihara, Michiaki (2002). "An apparent juvenile Cox's Sandpiper in Japan". Birding World. 15 (8): 346–347.
- ^ Jonsson, Lars (1996). "Mystery stint at Groote Keeten: First known hybrid between Little and Temminck's Stint?". Dutch Birding. 18: 24–28.
- ^ McLaughlin K. A.; Wormington, A. (2000). "An apparent Dunlin × White-rumped Sandpiper hybrid". Ontario Birds. 18 (1): 8–12.
- ^ A putative hybrid White-rumped Sandpiper × Dunlin from the east coast of the USA at Ocean Wanderers. Retrieved 2006-OCT-11
- ^ Millington, Richard (1994). "A mystery Calidris at Cley". Birding World. 7 (2): 61–63. Archived from the original on 2004-06-17.
- ISBN 978-0-19-518323-8.
- JSTOR 40168300.
- ^ ISBN 0-691-12107-9.
- JSTOR 1367545.
- ^ Pierce, R. J. (1984). "Plumage, morphology and hybridisation of New Zealand Stilts Himantopus spp" (PDF). Notornis. 31: 106–130. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-24.
- ^ Vinicombe, Keith (1988). "Unspecific Golden Plover in Avon". Birding World. 1 (2): 54–56.