Species help

Susannel · New Member Joined: Jan 09, 2016 Posts: 2

Hi!

I´m new to kakarikis and have a question about this bird:

I got this 6 year old male from a friend. I was told it´s a red-crown, but it looks like a yellow-crown to me? It misses the red markings behind the eye.

BUT, is there mutations available among yellow-crowns? This bird is also very large, larger than my other red-crowns. Or is it a hybrid?

Regards

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

That is a YC mutation
No red spots behind the eyes as u said and no red crown
Both YC and RC have the red strip above the beak

look in the gallery section where u will see examples of species mutations and undesirable hybrids

PS nice looking bird to.

Cheers
Steps

Susannel · New Member Joined: Jan 09, 2016 Posts: 2

Thanks!

I didn´t know there were any mutations among YC. But how come this bird is so large? It´s the size of a small cockatiel, and I read that YC is supposed to be smaller than RC? That´s what makes me suspect a hybrid...

Steptoe · Site Admin Joined: Oct 06, 2004 Posts: 4550

Yes both YC and RC have mutations....
Yes the YC is usually a little smaller than the RC.
The RC is also smaller than a cocktiel
The antipodes is a very large in comparison (very rare in captivity and non existent as far as I know outside NZ) being a little smaller than a king parrot.

Over the yrs we have had very different size results in breeding both RC and YC...Everything from small RC females the size of a small YC female to RC and YC males nearly the size of a cocktiel, but far more solid in the body.
The biggest influences we have is allowing pairs to select partners from un related or distantly related and parent breeding with top diets constant and varied including proteins as would or better in the wild.

Looking at your pic on a computer with decent and blown up. I can see a smudge of red in the crown area and a smudge red behind the ear.....

Yes this does strongly indicate some hybridisation as you suggest.