Animal Sciences Commons^™

Hybridization & Zoogeographic Patterns In Pheasants, Paul A. Johnsgard

Paul Johnsgard Collection

A review of interspecific pheasant hybrids as reported in the literature reveals a relatively high rate of hybridization in captivity but a low rate of hybridization in the wild. All of the 91 known hybrid combinations have been reported from captivity, and three of these combinations have also been reported from the wild. All of the latter involve species pairs of known close relationships (red and gray junglefowl, kalij and silver pheasant, and white and blue eared pheasant), suggesting that reproductive isolating mechanisms in the pheasants are much more effective under natural conditions than are those of grouse, a group …