doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Gamebird Hybrids?

Has anyone ever came across a hybrid species of gamebirds in your years of hunting? The reason I ask, is that this year while I was out hunting, I shot what I thought was a immature Ruffed grouse. However, when I dressed it, to my surprise, it was dark meat like that of the Franklin or Spruce grouse. To me, it didn’t appear to be a female Spruce grouse, as they typically will have a small pink band above their eyes. So it got me to thinking about possible cross breed birds.

I did a Google search and found a discussion that had came up back in 2016. http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?131913-Do-Grouse-Cross-Breed

This got me more interested and with further searching, I found that there have been cases of hybrid gamebird species discovered in the past. https://allbirdsoftheworld.fandom.com/wiki/Gamebird_hybrids#Pheasant_and_Grouse_hybrids
Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) and Spruce Grouse (Canachites canadensis), Dusky or Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and Sharp-tailed grouse (Pedioecetes phasianellus) at Osoyoos, British Columbia, 1906 (Dr. John W. Aldrich), now those are interesting cross breeds!

TC

Looks like a spruce grouse to me.

Here in AZ you come across a scrambled quail once and awhile. A mix between a Scaled quail and a Gambels quail.

I've seen lots of duck hybrids over the years but nothing of upland variety,

I wonder how recognizable the hybrid upland varieties would be though, unless you were a biologist in that field of study? To me, it would appear just a bit different. Interesting.

https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/wilson/v063n03/p0219-p0224.pdf

Prairie Chicken x Sharptail Grouse

Sage Grouse x Sharptail Grouse

TC

Spruce grouse hen ,no doubt

There are crosses between Meriums and Eastern turkeys in NW Montana. Shoot them quite regularily.

A time or two I’ve seen what we call Blobs—crosses between blues (scaled quail) and bobs.

Patrick shot a Mearns crossed with a Scalie a couple of years ago, plumage was distinctly different than either but well shot and not salvageable. We do have photos.
We shot several Scrambles on Borderbills ranch over the years, fairly common on that range/elevation.

I think wherever lekking areas overlap you get sharptail/prairie chicken hybrids.