Birds and Color Morphs

[khaiqha]

Random question: so birds recognize their own species pretty easily when they have been bred to have colors not normal to their own species?

For instance, would a wild IRN recognize a white/blue pied IRN as another IRN? Are there preferences? My biology teacher did experiments with fruit flies and accidentally developed a fruit fly with white eyes. They became so popular that the entire colony became all white eyed in 3 generations, as the females would only want to mate with the white eyed males. She ended up killing the entire colony for fear they would escape and affect wild populations.

 

[crimson]

I would think it wouldn't matter what colours or genetics they have.

for instance lovebirds don't choose a mate that resembles them, they choose a mate they are attracted to, same goes for cockatiels, conures etc....

 

[MonicaMc]

There's a flock of wild green conures in Texas.... they are throwing lutino offspring.


https://www.facebook.com/wildlifeartist/photos



Blue blue fronted amazons originated from wild caught amazons. I believe at least one or two other blue mutation amazons and maybe a lutino as well have originated from wild caught birds - although these are species you can't get as a pet in the USA just yet.

I think the pied yellow tailed black cockatoo also originated from wild caught parrots.


Not even to mention the various wild hybrids out there, and these hybrids reproducing with one or the other parent species, both or even a third species!



So I'd say that yes, they can distinguish between the different color mutations as being still same species. The most you may find about experiments in color mutations in parrots and preferences would be in budgerigars and females preferring the brighter colored males....

 

[Mike17]

Birds of different species can recognise variations in other species. We have two male eccies that spend the day on the verandah. Our corella is good mates with our hand-raised one, Alex- but can tell the newer, non-tame guy Joey when he perches nearby. The corella opens his beak and makes as if he's about to attack! But the same corella will allow Alex to "preen" him though little squarks arise as the corella loses feathers