Hybrids

[PlantBreeder]

I'm interested in the various crossed that have been tried.

I'm not fishing to know what you've got, just want to know what 'works'.

So , information please,

Female species X Male species and were the F1 offspring sterile or have

they been backcrossed to either of the parent species.

[EddieT]

Whilst there have been a plethora of hybrids bred over the last couple of decades there are really only a few that really dominate. Someone posted on here once the official numbers of registered hybrids in a single year in the UK and this confirmed that it is really only the following crosses that are bred in any numbers in the UK:

peregrine/saker
gyr/peregrine
gyr/saker

with a smaller number of pere/lanners

other hybrids that are bred in small numbers include:

pere/merlin
pere/priarie
pere/gyr/saker (peregrine into a gyr/saker)

The naming of hybrids is to put the fathers species first, hence a gyr/pere is gyr semen into a female peregrine (most breeding gyr females are used to produce pure gyr offspring as they are more valuable than a hybrid).

I have zero experience of breeding birds but i understand that as gyrs and sakers are so closely related that all gyr/saker hybrids are fertile (which leads to breeding of less than half half hybrids ie 3/4's gyr/sakers right down to 17/18ths gyr/sakers which are pretty much pure gyr with just a hint of saker. Other hybrids are less fertile and i will leave it to an experienced breeder to give insight into this.

As to what works, well its horses for courses. A lot of the gyr/saker production in the uk is to produce females of this cross to the arabs, but the males do have a following in the uk as both crow hawks or as game hawks, but are not as favoured for this as other hybrids.

Gyr/peregrines females are equally hard to find if you are not an eager Arab buyer, but the males have a huge following in the UK as they make great waiting on game hawks, perfectly sized for taking most game and a in built ability to climb well to a pitch. There are more than a few people who also use this cross as a crow falcon.

The pere/saker is for many the best crow or rook falcon going combining the flying ability of the peregrine with the tenacity in pursuit of the saker and the sakers ability to get to grips with difficult quarry once brought to ground.

[PlantBreeder]

Thanks Eddie T, that was very interesting and I have taken the liberty of printing a copy for future referral.

Strange that you list the male first when breeding birds, the female is first
in plant breeding, and also in dog breeding, I think.

Perhaps someone can offer similar enlightenment re. hawks.

I knew a chap several years ago who was trying hybrids of various Buteo species, but I do not know how he got on, and I understand that he has
since died, so I can't ask him.