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Parrots are a popular pet in the United States, and they continue to become more popular every year. Many people are concerned that keeping two different parrots in the same cage will cause them to breed, while others are hopeful that they will create a new species. However, there are several factors to consider, and only certain kinds of parrots can mate with each other. If you are thinking about keeping several parrots and would like to know more about their breeding habits, keep reading while we find out which birds can mate with other breeds so you know what to expect from your birds.
Can Parrots Crossbreed to Create Hybrid Species?
The short answer to whether parrots can crossbreed to form new hybrids is sometimes. Parrots are psittacines, and there are more than 400 that make up the order, with 387 species existing in modern times. Scientists divide the psittacines into three categories: Psittacoidae, which means “true parrot,” Cacatuoidea, which is the cockatoos, and Strigopoidea, which includes New Zealand parrots. Scientists further break down these three categories into multiple subfamilies or genera. Here are a few examples of each.
Psittacidae
Cacatuoidea
In most cases, your birds must belong to the same genus to mate and have offspring. For example, the true parrot genus Aratinga includes the sun parakeet, golden-capped parakeet, dusky-headed parakeet, Nanday parakeet, etc., and they can usually mate when kept in the same cage because their genetic makeup is quite similar. Mixing these birds may create interesting color patterns and change their behavior slightly. Hybrids of the same genus stand a good chance of being healthy and living full lives. In the wild, mating outside the genus is extremely rare. Most don’t live in the same areas and are genetically too different to create offspring. However, in captivity, it’s much more common for parrots to mate outside their species. Captive parrots can get lonely and may try to mate with other species, even if unsuccessful. In fact, it’s not uncommon for parrots to exhibit signs that they are trying to mate with you, and a parrot becoming too bonded is a real problem. In most cases, your bird attempting to mate with other birds won’t produce offspring, but sometimes, it will create a hybrid. Birds that might produce a hybrid include cockatoos and cockatiels, so you must be careful if you keep them in the same cage. The ruby macaw is a hybrid created by mixing the scarlet macaw and the green-winged macaw. Though they are both macaws, they belong to a different genus. The Sunday conure is a hybrid created by mixing the sun conure, an Aratinga solstitialis, with a Jenday conure, from the Aratinga jandaya genus. Your hybrid parrot will look like a blend of its parents. They can display markings and patterns from both parents and will be an average size. Some hybrid parrots are infertile and cannot produce offspring, but others will. The Catalina macaw is a mix of the scarlet macaw and the blue and gold macaw. They can mate with other Catalina macaws to successfully create a second generation. These birds can also breed with other macaws, but there is a greater risk of producing sterile offspring, especially in the third generation. No. Parrots can only mate with other parrots, and most will only mate with those of the same genus. As we mentioned earlier, your parrot might get lonely and attempt to mate with the other birds, but there is no risk of them producing offspring. However, if the parrot becomes too attached to the other bird, it can become overly protective and aggressive to other birds and you if you get too close. If you notice this behavior, you must split up the birds until your parrot calms down. Yes. While there are many lovebird species, they all belong to the same genus and are quite similar. However, while they can create hybrids, not all will be fertile. When breeding lovebirds with a white eye ring with others that also have the eye ring, the children should be fertile, but when mixing them with lovebirds that do not have the eye ring, the birds won’t be fertile. All macaws can interbreed to create 28 possible hybrid combinations. Breeders are primarily responsible for developing the hybrid macaws and do so in captivity. Finding a hybrid at your local pet shop or an online breeder is relatively easy. People commonly call conures and budgies parakeets, so it’s natural to wonder if the two birds can breed. Unfortunately, they are too far apart genetically to produce offspring. As you can see, there are several parrot species, and some can breed to create hybrid parrots while others cannot. If you are looking to get something unique that doesn’t exist in the wild, we recommend checking with a pet store or contacting a breeder about purchasing a macaw hybrid. They are relatively easy to find and usually don’t cost too much. If you are worried about getting your parrots breeding, it’s unlikely that you will end up with any offspring unless they are one of the birds mentioned here. We hope you have enjoyed reading this guide and found the answers you need! Featured Image Credit: Cowboy54, Shutterstock
Strigopoidea
Same Genus
Creating Hybrid Parrots
Ruby Macaw
Sunday Conure
Raising Hybrid Parrots
Can Parrots Mate With Other Birds?
Can Lovebirds Interbreed?
Can Macaws Interbreed?
Can Conures Breed With Budgies?
Final Thoughts
