Possible To Breed Lovebirds & Budgies Together?

[Monica]

I've heard of parrotlets raising a sun conure until pulled for handfeeding... although it doesn't occur in parrots, just look up "brood parasites". Talks about how various species of animals (usually birds) end up raising other species (unintentionally).

I'd really hope that a lovebird and budgie hybrid isn't possible, and that no one purposely tries to breed one - but you never know! Maybe the book was right and it has occurred, yet due to how far apart the two species are, it is an extremely rare occurrence when such a hybrid is produced?


As for the white hen and lovebird... well, I suspect, since budgies are monogamous, that she bred with another budgie, a green budgie in specific, but "paired off" with the lovebird - unless the chick really isn't hers. Maybe another hen laid it in her nest?

 

[65sunnyday]

Good thinking--this is probably the case....

 

[nicamarvin]

its possible for a Parakeet male to mate with a Lovebird female, some reports say that a few successful hybrids were produced, there are videos of them mating

 

[nicamarvin]

its possible for a Parakeet male to mate with a Lovebird female, some reports say that a few successful hybrids were produced, there are videos of them mating

here is a video of a male budgie and a female lovebird mating..

 

[jmfleish]

here is a video of a male budgie and a female lovebird mating..

Sure they can mate but that doesn't mean that they can reproduce. I find it very hard to believe that they can...they're from totally different continents...

 

[Clarissa]

Them mating and anything actually coming of it is unlikely. I mean, as someone earlier said. Weirder things have happened, so maybe it is a possibility. But I'm gonna stick with the majority and say I do not believe this is a possible occurance. Cute babies though!

 

[nicamarvin]

Sure they can mate but that doesn't mean that they can reproduce. I find it very hard to believe that they can...they're from totally different continents...

while I dont desagree with your statements, one could argue that sinse they are parrots(with similar body structure) they could be genetically compatible, just look at the zebroid(zebra horse hybrid) and the Yakalo(Yak and american bison hybrid) all of these hybrids are of a different species just like a budgie and lovebirds are different species

 

[jmfleish]

while I dont desagree with your statements, one could argue that sinse they are parrots(with similar body structure) they could be genetically compatible, just look at the zebroid(zebra horse hybrid) and the Yakalo(Yak and american bison hybrid) all of these hybrids are of a different species just like a budgie and lovebirds are different species

Yes, but the zebra and horse are from the same genus. I can't comment on the yak and bison. The budgie and love bird are from different subfamilies and different genuses. They are about as different as parrots can get. We have seen like parrots of the same family breed and produce offspring such as the Cockatoos or the Macaws and have even seen closely related families breed and produce offspring such as the Macaws and the Conures. I have never heard of a Lovebird and a Budgie producing offspring and I doubt it's possible.

 

[aparrotly]

I doubt they reproduced. Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus) are subfamily Loriinae. Lovebirds (Agapornis spp.) are subfamily Agapornithinae. These subfamilies developed in different continents.

Macaws and conures can hybridize across genera, but that's staying within American tribe Arini (tribe is two ranks more-specific than subfamily), and conure genera are poorly understood to begin with.

The baby in post #8 looks like a budgie to me.

 

[roxynoodle]

I also think the budgie likely reproduced with another budgie or that a different female budgie altogether dropped the egg in her nest box.

However, it has only been in the last year that I have learned Nanday and Blue Crowned conures can hybridize together. When I got Rowdy I knew she could mate with another Nanday, a Sun or a Jenday and I figured as long as I got a conure different from those I would not have to worry if my new conure was male or female. As it turned out, I got 2 females and the point was moot, but now I know if I had gotten a male, it was possible. And I've only just learned here recently that both types of conures I have/had can hybridize with some macaws. Ok, so conures and macaws are pretty closely related.

However, it is true they are all parrots. And it's also possible they shared a common ancestor perhaps as long ago as when all the continents were connected. I simply don't know as I've never done that kind of research on the beginning of bird life in general and parrots in particular.

I do know my male amazon is not so particular and would be happy to make either my conure or my Grey his mate. For that matter, I think he would ok with either of the birds flying around the vet's office (both female; one a Quaker and one a Red Belly). He just wants a female bird and doesn't care that none of them are amazons, lol! Thankfully, none of the girls are willing to give him the time of day in that manner. If one of the girls were to change her mind I might be on here saying, holy crap, I have eggs and I think they are fertile!

I suspect for the most part parrots want to only breed with the same species as themselves. But, I also wonder if they were both willing to be with each other, perhaps there are more hybrids possible than we currently think there are.

 

[nicamarvin]

I doubt they reproduced. Budgies (Melopsittacus undulatus) are subfamily Loriinae. Lovebirds (Agapornis spp.) are subfamily Agapornithinae. These subfamilies developed in different continents..

this is the genetic order of these parrots.

Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Super Family: Psittacoidea
family: Psittaculidae

till this point these birds(Lovebird and budgie) are the same, where they separate and go in different way is the subfamily, while most hybrids occure within the same genus, on birds there are known hybrids between birds within the same Order like guineafowl and chicken hybrids the only thing these birds have in comun(chickens and guineafowl) is that they are in the same order. other than that, they act and look too different, but they have about the same size..

 

[jmfleish]

this is the genetic order of these parrots.

Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Super Family: Psittacoidea
family: Psittaculidae

till this point these birds(Lovebird and budgie) are the same, where they separate and go in different way is the subfamily, while most hybrids occure within the same genus, on birds there are known hybrids between birds within the same Order like guineafowl and chicken hybrids the only thing these birds have in comun(chickens and guineafowl) is that they are in the same order. other than that, they act and look too different, but they have about the same size..

Size really doesn't make much difference...we've seen Cockatiels and Rose Breasted Cockatoos mate and produce offspring and we have a hybrid Patagonian Conure/Blue and Gold Macaw mix right on this board. I think, at least for parrots, it comes down to how closely related the species are and I think that the Budgie and the Lovebird are too different to produce fertile eggs. They may mate but I don't think you'll ever get a viable egg from this pair. I've never once heard of a baby from this type of pair and if it were possible, you'd think we'd hear about it a lot because I'm sure that they're housed together a lot due to their size.

 

[aparrotly]

there are known hybrids between birds within the same Order like guineafowl and chicken hybrids

Wow. Learn something new every day! Ain't birds grand.

 

[Bokkapooh]

No they cannot. Though they will try! My mom has a lovebird/cockatiel pair. And boy do they try! Cockatiel mates dont feed eachother but this lovatiel pair does!

 

[nicamarvin]

Size really doesn't make much difference...it comes down to how closely related the species are and I think that the Budgie and the Lovebird are too different to produce fertile eggs.

you are right on the size difference not making much difference, but it makes natural mating(like the one on video) possible,

as for different species hybrid?

How about different Family hybrids?

how about a guinefowl x chicken hybrids?
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they bellong to the same Class:Aves and same Order:Galliformes but thats it, they share nothing more in common, thats like taking any 2 parrots on the Order Psittaciformes and mating them together and expecting a viable hybrid, so again its not Impossible

how about Interfamily(same family) Hybrids?(we are not even close to inter species hybrids yet, which are very common)

Chicken x Quail Hybrids
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SpringerImages - Chicken-quail hybrid with a "white" plumage



all I´m saying is bird hybrids withing the same Order are not impossible, even when these birds look and behave totally different, when you see a Quail or Turkey you just dont think about chickens at all yet these totally different birds produce viable hybrids? even if artificial insemination is need it to produce such a hybrid,

but parrots? when I see a small green parrots I think, these guys are just miniature Macaws, physiologically they resemble one another

 

[Monica]

Cama... Lama x Camel Hybrid...

Or a duck x chicken hybrid... accidentally came across that one... was rather odd. http://ps.fass.org/content/81/9/1360.full.pdf


Both are artificial.... so you can definitely say that stranger things have happened...


I don't believe that a lovebird and budgie hybrid is possible, but a lot of people said the same of the cockatiel x galah hybrid!

 

[patrod23]

Is it possible to mix together a pair of african lovebirds and a pair of budgie in one cage? I heard african lovebirds are very aggressive and may hurt the budgies. Pls help..i need more info regarding this. Thanks

 

[lupe]

Interesting~~! oh well, the baby is still a cutie no matter how he was made..

 

[Nad]

Yep, definitely looks like a healthy baby budgie
congrats

 

[MyAussieFriends]

Welcome to the forum. May I suggest you suggest you start a new thread? You might get more views that way