Hybrid Thrush Found in Vermont
By Corey • July 16, 2008 • 12 commentsA hybrid thrush has been found on Stratton Mountain in Vermont. The bird, which was determined through DNA analysis to be part Bicknell’s Thrush and part Veery, was found by researchers with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies who were studying Bicknell’s Thrush on the breeding grounds. It was first noticed by a researcher who heard it singing the song of a Veery that ended with the song of a Bicknell’s Thrush. The bird was then captured and blood was drawn for testing.
Veery (or half a Beery?) by Charlie
Veerys do not nest at high elevations and Bicknell’s Thrush only nest on mountaintops so how the hybrid came to be is certainly one heck of a mystery. Did a Veery, perhaps encouraged by warming global temperatures, venture forth to a mountaintop for some forbidden love with another species? Or did an amorous Bicknell’s Thrush descend to do the deed with a lowland-loving Veery? While that mystery may never be solved, we here at 10,000 Birds would like to help come up with a name for the new hybrid (though the discoverers’ of the bird will most likely actually get to name it we figure it can’t hurt to throw a couple of ideas their way). So vote for one of our choices or vote for a name of your choosing by leaving it in the comments!
Some folks are having a hard time getting their votes to register. Once you have clicked in the little circle for your selection click on the white bar and your vote should register. And you can only vote once!
[poll=5]
Tags: Bicknell's Thrush, catharus, polls, thrushes
• Have you seen the cool 10,000 Birds t-shirts? Get yours today! •
Oops…when testing this out I accidentally voted for “other.” So how about Catharthrush?
Interesting and amusing post. Makes me quite curious!
Doesn’t seem to work right – happened to me too!
I’d go with Veery Thrush.
Interesting that things like that happen and we’re there to figure it out!
Cheers, Klaus
On another note – what about calling him “Fritz”?
Oops, I accidentally voted for “other” too. My suggestion for the bird’s name is “[researcher name here]‘s veery-thrush.” My reasoning is that it should be treated the same way humans sometimes do when hyphenate their children’s (or their) last names when they get married.
How about Vicky?
A.k.a. Catharus mixtus.
Definitely Beery.
But then, does every hybrid need a name? There’s nothing wrong with good ol’ Catharus bicknelli x C. fuscescens.
I’m waiting for it to crossbreed with a White-throated Sparrow, and I assume the song would go something like this:
Beery, beery, beery, beery….Old Sam Adams,Adams,Adams
Interesting find. Here in Ohio, I just learned about a Clay-colored Sparrow x Field Sparrow hybrid that has just been documented up near Lorain. It has the big bill of a Field Sparrow but the coloration is more like Clay-colored, and the song is most like Clay-colored. However, it responds most aggressively to play backs of Field Sparrow song. It’s been mist-netted and I assume a sample for DNA analysis was taken.
Will – that’s really funny.
Fuscescens means tawny… what color was this bird? Common name “Beery” is great! I wonder if the bird was successful in breeding? Will it return? Does it migrate to SC or SE Brazil? Or does it hang with the Bicknell’s?
In the process of trying to identify some newcomers to our yard, this little bird is identical to what we’re seeing. We have a pair who are building a nest in one of our recently vacated bluebird boxes.
We live in Northeast Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountain foothills in a small town called Rogersville.
These birds are new to our yard, and because they are so small, we thought they may be some kind of Finch. I love their song. They are very ‘verbal’, calling across the yard as they each search for nesting material. We love watching the birds who come to nest here, so we’re particularly pleased to have something new to watch. Thanks for the clear photos that helped me identify our new friends.