This website was started by me (Jente Ottenburghs) during my PhD at Wageningen University. While reading the scientific literature on hybridization in birds, I wrote small summaries to keep the overview and structure my thoughts. At some point, I decided to share this information more widely and start the Avian Hybrids Project.
In 1992, it was estimated that about one in ten bird species has hybridized with at least one other species (Grant & Grant 1992). Since then that number has increased steadily as more and more avian hybrids were documented. This website does not attempt to give an overview of all the recorded hybrids (for this, see “Handbook of Avian Hybrids of the World” by Eugene McCarthy or this website).
Rather, my goal is to collect the scientific literature on avian hybridization in one place. For every bird order (and family in case of the Passeriformes), I have written short summaries. Click on the photos below to access the featured bird orders. In addition, the newest findings and publications will be presented in the Latest News section. For more information about the author and ways to contribute to this website, please have a look on the About page.
To cite this website: please refer to the Ibis publication in which I announced this project:
Ottenburghs, J., Ydenberg, R.C., van Hooft, P., Van Wieren, S.E., & Prins, H.H.T. (2015). The Avian Hybrids Project: gathering the scientific literature on avian hybridization. Ibis, 157 (4), 892-894 DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12285
Enjoy the exploration of avian hybrids!
 Accipitriformes (birds of prey) |
 Anseriformes (ducks, geese and swans) |
 Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds) |
 Bucerotiformes (hornbills and wood hoopoes) |
 Charadriiformes (waders, gulls and auks) |
 Columbiformes (pigeons and doves) |
 Coraciiformes (kingfishers, motmots, etc.) |
 Falconiformes (falcons) |
 Galliformes (gamebirds) |
 Gaviiformes (divers) |
 Gruiformes (cranes and rails) |
 Pelecaniformes (pelicans, cormorants, etc.) |
 Piciformes (woodpeckers) |
 Podicipediformes (grebes) |
 Procellariiformes (albatrosses, shearwaters and petrels) |
 Psittaciformes (parrots and parakeets) |
 Rheiformes (nandus) |
 Sphenisciformes (penguins) |
 Strigiformes (owls) |
 Suliformes (gannets, boobies, cormorants) |
Passeriformes (passerines)
Given the huge diversity of species and the relatively high incidence of hybridization among song birds, I decided to write separate summaries for particular passerine families. Click on the links below to read more about the featured bird families.
- Acanthizidae
- Acrocephalidae
- Aegithalidae
- Alaudidae
- Artamidae
- Bernieridae
- Calcariidae
- Cardinalidae
- Certhiidae
- Cisticolidae
- Coerebidae
- Corvidae
- Cracticidae
- Emberizidae
- Estrildidae
- Fringillidae
- Grallariidae
- Hirundinidae
- Icteridae
- Laniidae
- Leiotrichidae
- Locustellidae
- Maluridae
- Meliphagidae
- Mimidae
- Monarchidae
- Motacillidae
- Muscicapidae
- Paradisaeidae
- Paridae
- Passeridae
- Parulidae
- Petroicidae
- Phylloscopidae
- Pipridae
- Pittidae
- Ploceidae
- Psophodidae
- Ptilorhynchidae
- Pycnonotidae
- Sitiidae
- Sturnidae
- Sylviidae
- Thraupidae
- Troglodytidae
- Turdidae
- Tyrannidae
- Viduidae
- Vireonidae
- Zosteropidae
Avian Hybrids 
[…] are interested in learning more about hybrids, you can do no better than visit the website of the Avian Hybrid Project, set up by Peter and Rosemary Grant; it is a commendable and mammoth resource, bringing as many if […]