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     HYBRIDIZATION IN WATERFOWL 
     
    
   
   
    
     Preparatory to a discussion 
     
    
   
   
    
     of hybridization in waterfowl 
     
     is an understanding of the term 
     
     species. For example, the 
     
     mallard is a different species 
     
     of duck than the green-winged 
     
     teal. The mallard and the 
     
     green-winged teal differ not 
     
     only in appearance but also 
     
     have behaviorial and ecological 
     
     differences. This example 
     
     illustrates the definition of 
     
     species which is a group with 
     
     genetic, behavioral, and 
     
     ecological traits peculiar to 
     
     themselves. Although orig- 
     
     inating from the same ancestor, 
     
     two or more groups may develop 
     
     into different populations due 
     
     to a long period of isolation. 
     
     These new groups are each 
     
     considered a sub—species. 
     
    
   
   
    
     An understanding of the 
     
     term species promotes an under- 
     
     standing of the phenomenon of 
     
     hybridization- Hybridization 
     
     is the mating of two different 
     
     species or sub-species. The 
     
     offspring of such a mating is 
     
     referred to as a hybrid. For 
     
     example, if a drake mallard 
     
     mates with a hen pintail the 
     
     resulting offspring would be 
     
     referred to as a mallard x 
     
     pintail hybrid. 
     
    

    
     In general, hybrids have~ 
     
     reduced fertility, plumage 
     
     characteristics derived from 
     
     both parents, atypical display 
     
     characteristics, maladapted to 
     
     the environment and little if 
     
     any reproductive success. 
     
    

    
     Since hybrids are such unpro- 
     
     ductive members of a population, 
     
     nature has several built-in 
     
     safeguards against hybridization 
     
     in the form of plumage and 
     
     behavioral differences. In most 
     
     instances, these differences do 
     
     prevent the mating of different 
     
     species. 
     
    

    
     Even with built-in safe- 
     
     guards, waterfowl show the 
     
     greatest tendency for hybrid— 
     
    
   
   
    
     ization in the avian world. 
     
    

    
     The mallard is the record; 
     
     holder for hybridization as this 
     
     species is known to have 
     
    
   
   
    
     phybridized with approximately 
     
     .forty other Species. The 
     
    
   
   
    
     increasing occurrence of 
     
     mallard x black duck hybrids 
     
     in the Atlantic Flyway is a 
     
     problem for wildlife managers 
     
     in this area since the black 
     
     duck is considered a superior 
     
     game bird to either the mallard 
     
     or the mallard x black hybrid. 
     
     Mallard x black duck hy- 
     
     brids have been sighted on 
     
     P.E.I. The mallard X black 
     
     hybrid, if it is a mallard, 
     
     may show typical black color- 
     
     ation except for some green 
     
     on the back of its head and 
     
     some differences in the 
     
     colored wing speculum., How- 
     
     ever, more often the hybrid 
     
     bird shows characteristics of 
     
     one parent or the other with 
     
     subtle differences i.e. a 
     
     slightly lighter color. 
     
    
   
   
    
     In August 1980, the 
     
     Prince Edward Island Fish and 
     
     Wildlife Division captured a 
     
     black x Gadwall hybrid during 
     
     a night-light banding 
     
     operation at Indian River 
     
     Wildlife Management Area. 
     
     This is the first recorded 
     
     hybrid of this kind in the 
     
     Atlantic region. This hybrid 
     
     is all the more unusual since 
     
     the Gadwall, as noted in the 
     
     Prince Edward Island Field 
     
     Check List of Birds, is 
     
     considered an "uncommon" 
     
     (Observer may sight l-lZ 
     
     birds per fortnight) resident 
     
     of our area. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Hybrids are an odd but 
     
     interesting feature of our 
     
     natural world. The water- 
     
     fowl population of P.E.I. 
     
     provides an opportunity to 
     
     examine this subject first 
     
     hand. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Paul Strain 
     
     123 Nassau St. 
     
     Ch'Town, P.E.I.