Open Access
How to translate text using browser tools
19 October 2021 Predictable outcomes of warbler hybridization: Synthesis and an exceptional Yellow × Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga petechia × S. caerulescens) pairing
Jessie L. Williamson, Ethan F. Gyllenhaal, Kristen D. Oliver, Serina S. Brady, Andrew B. Johnson, Moses J. Michelsohn, Michael J. Andersen
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Hybridization can have profound effects on biological diversity. However, predictable inheritance of plumage traits remains poorly understood, especially for rare hybrids. We reviewed the literature and compiled a comprehensive list of hybrids from the New World warbler family Parulidae, a diverse radiation of songbirds with divergent plumage traits. We used our compilation to analyze modes of inheritance in wing bar patterns and carotenoid coloration. Finally, we describe an unusual hybrid from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico, southwestern USA. We identified evidence of hybridization in 44 of 47 (93%) North American parulid species, with the highest number of hybrids found in the genus Setophaga. Plumage patterns between hybrid offspring and parental forms in our 2 focal traits were predictable, supporting the identification of our hybrid as a Yellow × Black-throated Blue Warbler (S. petechia × S. caerulescens). We based our identification on the extent and pattern of white in the tail, a prominent white wing flag, and our ability to confidently rule out all other alternative parentals. Our results suggest that phenotypes of rare hybrid warblers likely have some degree of predictability.

Jessie L. Williamson, Ethan F. Gyllenhaal, Kristen D. Oliver, Serina S. Brady, Andrew B. Johnson, Moses J. Michelsohn, and Michael J. Andersen "Predictable outcomes of warbler hybridization: Synthesis and an exceptional Yellow × Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga petechia × S. caerulescens) pairing," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 133(1), 82-102, (19 October 2021). https://doi.org/10.1676/21-00031
Received: 5 March 2021; Accepted: 12 June 2021; Published: 19 October 2021
KEYWORDS
hybrid identification
hybridization
New World Warbler
Parulidae
plumage
Setophaga
Back to Top