Nebojsha Antanasijevic and Slobodan Kulic, OMJ judge HYBRID FERTILITY / MIXING (This text is published in magazines „Avi fauna“ - Serbia and i „Batuda“- Croatia)

Some crossings of within the , both with each other and with canaries - genus Serinus, give fertile hybrids that are very useful in the further selection of melanin canaries of color. In recent years, this is a new trend in canary culture, which is most forced by the Spaniards. We have already seen how the diluted mutation of Magellan and siskins was used to be introduced to canaries through hybridization, and thus the latest mutation of canaries of color was obtained - marble (jaspe), which is already well on its way to being officially recognized.

Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogaster) - male used in said hybridizations

In this article, the focus of consideration will be the species that produce fertile hybrids by interbreeding, and more importantly, fertile hybrids with canaries. These are primarily some species of South American siskins, which produce fertile hybrids when mated with each other, and if these hybrids mate with canaries, in some percentage, depending on the species, there are also fertile hybrids. And the Eurasian siskin (Carduelis ) with some of these South American burdock yields fertile hybrids. This has already been used to transfer them, where a dilute mutation originally occurred, to hybridization to several species of South American siskins, directly or indirectly, by crossing one species of South American siskins, in which a dilute mutation is fixed, with another to which it is desired. transfer, of course if their hybrids are fertile. . The father is a hybrid of Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogaster) x Bolivian siskin - Black siskin (Carduelis atrata) , and the mother is a green collor canary

Another European species - (Serinus serinus) - when crossed with canaries gives a certain percentage of fertile hybrids. This is used to return some mutations of canaries by return mating to the European serin itself (satin, Isabella, brown). All this seems quite complicated, especially in the case when fertile hybrids obtained from a cross between two species of South American snipe, we cross with a third species of South American siskins and get the so-called. fertile trihybrids, which we use for improvements and some novelties that are achieved through them in melanin canaries. However, about that other occasion.

R3 - Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogaster) x canary normal melanin black yellow mosaic

Back hybrid F1 Venezuelan siskin (Carduelis cucullata) x canary normal melanin black red mosaic

Bird hybrids can be infertile, partially fertile and fertile. It depends on the genetic closeness, ie the number of chromosomes of the species that can cross and give hybrids in general. The causes of infertility of hybrid birds are the impossibility of zygote formation due to the difference in the number of chromosomes of crossed species and the incompatible combination of genes, but also due to such pH of male semen which is not suitable for the fallopian tube of the female with which it mates. It has been observed that male hybrids are fertile in much larger than female hybrids. This is generally true for various combinations of hybridization.

Sometimes male hybrids are not fertile in the first mating season, but they will be when they get older. The reason is because the gonads (fertilizing organs) in them develop more slowly than in the pure species.

Trihybrid – father: Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogaster) x Magellan siskin - Hooded Siskin (Carduelis magellanica) X mother: Venezuela siskin - Red siskin (Carduelis cucullata)

Venezuela siskin (Carduels cucullata) x canary melanin white

I will give some combinations of mating birds of different species of the genus Carduelis and Serinus that give fertile hybrids, with each other and with canaries, and the hybrids thus obtained can be used in the selection of canaries. Data on this were published by the Spaniards (D. G. Cabrera Amat, Rafael Cuevas, Martines Enrique Gomes Merino), who mostly do such crossings and use them to introduce innovations in canaries of color.

- Bolivian siskin (Carduelis atrata) x Venezuela siskin (Carduelis cucullata) and vice versa give 100% fertile hybrids, males and females hybrids; - Bolivian siskin (Carduelis atrata) x Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogastra) and vice versa give 100% fertile hybrid males hybrids and to a lesser extent fertile females hybrids; - Bolivian siskin (Carduelis atrata) x Magellan siskin (Carduelis magellanicus) and vice versa give 100% fertile males hybrids and 90% fertile females hybrids; - Bolivian siskin (Carduelis atrata) x Black-headed siskin (Carduelis notata) and vice versa give 100% fertile males hybrids and to a lesser extent fertile females hybrids; - Bolivian siskin (Carduelis atrata) x Eurasian siskin (Carduelis spinus) and vice versa give 100% fertile males hybrids and 50% fertile females hybrids; - Bolivian siskin (Carduelis atrata) x canary and vice versa give almost sterile males, because only 8-10% of fertile and 100% infertile females; - Venezuela siskin (Carduelis cucullata) x Magellan siskin (Carduelis magellanicus) and vice versa give 90% of fertile males hybrids and 80% of fertile females hybrids; - Venezuela siskin (Carduelis cucullata) x Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogastra) and vice versa give 100% fertile males hybrids and 90% fertile female hybrids; - Venezuela siskin (Carduelis cucullata) x Canary bird and vice versa give 50% of fertile males hybrids and completely infertile females hybrids; - Magellan siskin (Carduelis magellanicus) x Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogastra) and vice versa give 100% fertile hybrids regardless of sex; - Magellan siskin (Carduelis magellanicus) x Eurasian siskin (Carduelis spinus) and vice versa give slightly fertile hybrids; - Canary bird x Yellow-bellied siskin (Carduelis xantogastra) and vice versa give 50% of fertile male hybrids and completely infertile females hybrids; - Canary bird x Magellan siskin (Carduelis magellanicus) and vice versa give only 20% of fertile males and infertile females hybrids; - Canary bird x European serin (Serinus serinus) and vice versa give 100% fertile males hybrids and only 10% fertile females hybrids; - Venezuela siskin (Cardulis cucullata) x European serine (Serinus serinus) and vice versa give 50% of fertile males hybrids and infertile females hybrids.