Hybrid Conure?

Now that I've posted pictures of my birds, MonicaMC pointed out to me what I've long suspected but never really researched; that Eva is likely a hybrid. Eva came from Petco so it's definitely possible, and she has some inconsistent markings. I don't know the Pyrrhura genus well so I never really put research into what else she might be, but with the links I was sent I think Monica made a good point for Eva being a cross of a green cheek conure X black capped conure, apparently referred to as a black forest conure.

Her very green cheek traits include her red belly feathers, her dark green body and facial color (not the almost coppery hue of the black capped's face mask), her mostly maroon tail feathers and, not pictured, her blue primaries. She's still clipped and she bathed not long ago so what's left of those feathers are still drying and currently look black.

But she has a full facial mask instead of the "cheek" sized mask of the green cheek, she has some green on her tail feathers and a few suspect red feathers on the wrist of her wing.

Much to her displeasure, I took Eva to the bathroom - or as she knows it the "bad things happen here room" - and got a few pictures of those various traits. I also managed to get a picture of the carnage she inflicted on my finger when I had the audacity to spread her wing to show those red feathers. I assure there were make-up cuddles and lots of sunflower seed bribery afterwards to make up for the manhandling. All is forgiven. Anyway... I'd love to know what you guys think.









That's the "wrist" of her wing where you can see two tiny red feathers. Just look at that big nasty bite! She's a dangerous bird indeed

Eva looks very black capped to me! Which makes me wonder if she's 50% Black Cap, or 75% black cap? Unless both parents were 50/50 hybrids, and she took on the majority of the black cap genetics?


The feathers right beneath the cheaks scream black cap. The facial mask screams black cap. Several species have tails that are mostly or completely green on top, but due to other features, we can say the green in the tail is black cap. The mostly green stomach. The red in the "wrist" section.

What says green cheek is the barely noticeable ear patch, the red tipped tail feathers, the breast feathers (from scalloped black cap to straight green cheek), the kind of red stomach patch (black caps have them, too! but it varies... this says a little more green cheekie though...), blue primaries and the overall green body coloration.



Found some pictures of the two species in flight! Perhaps these may be of more help!

Green Cheek

greencheek's DeviantArt gallery


Black Cap

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=30471582@N04&view_all=1&text=flying




Although it's not completely unusual for some green cheeks to have "wrist" coloration.... Eva's is really leaning towards black cap there! Here's a green cheek with the odd coloration's.

http://i.imgur.com/g1OYZoy.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WINO2o0.jpg


There used to be a UK breeder who had a bunch of green cheek conures with similar coloration to their wrist joints... appears the website is down, though. There is a Pyrrhura group on FB that has additional photos, although it is a private group...

A maroon bellied conure also had that coloration...



But in Eva's case, I really think it's due to hybridization, rather than a unique trait!

The more I compare images the more I really see how different she looks. Definitely not a green cheek but she's definitely not a pure black capped conure either. I suppose she could be a maroon bellied x black capped but green cheek seems a lot more likely. Regardless I'm convinced enough to have changed my parrot list in my profile to reflect the obvious fact that she's not a green cheek. I'm shocked that I never noticed before just how different she looks and now it seems obvious!

Having a dog that's constantly mistaken for a wolf hybrid but in all honesty a sloppily bred Siberian husky, I guess I never looked into Eva being a hybrid because it seemed unlikely. I've seen a lot of people locally get "special snowflake" syndrome with their animals and make unlikely claims - savannah cats rescued from the street, coydogs, blue-eyed wolf hybrids and worse - so I try never to be that person!

Love huskies!!! Never owned one, but I kind of prefer more "wolfie" like dogs. Just seem more natural to me.


If Eva was a maroon bellied x black cap hybrid, then the tail would *most likely* be completely green (instead of red tipped), and the head would probably be more greenish in coloration, and a more yellow breast? I can't think of any maroon bellied x black cap hybrid pictures, nor can I say I've seen one... just basing this info from the maroon bellied x green cheek hybrids...