Seeking Spalding peafowl photos for science!

[Sarah Rackowski]

Hi everyone!
I'm an undergraduate student doing Research with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on naturalized hybrid peafowl in Southern Florida to better understand the ecology of introduced and invasive bird species. Part of the project is proving that the population of birds in question are indeed hybrids through visual means, which is where I need help from you!

If you keep adult male spalding peafowl, I humbly request photos of them in order to compare with feral individuals! Photos ideally have a good view of the bird's facial skin, crest and wing. If you know the birds's ancestry (recently cross between green and blue, backcross or splaying x spalding cross) add it, Also let me know how you would like to be credited for providing data (name, attached to the photo or DM'ed to me, or as an anonymous contributor) to be included in a paper if this research ever gets published.

Thank you for your help in advance!
Sarah

 

[KsKingBee]

I have many pictures I will send this evening. One thing that you should be aware of is that hybrids, (Spaldings), do not breed true. You will get varying amounts of Green blood from continued crossings. The only true percentage is Green x Blue of 50% all other crossings will be either lower or higher percentages.

Since you are detailing phenotype also be aware that not all common ideals of Spalding will be evident. Many people think they need to have yellow cheeks that mainly appear during the breeding season. It is more common to find that the cheeks may only be very pail or have lots of or just some blue which is hard to breed into hybrids. I can show you a hen with deep yellow cheeks with the body of a Blue.

The better descriptive is for the body conformity, long neck and legs, lean slender body, barring on hens, lack of barring on cocks, tight crests, rust color on the breast of hens, long beaks and triangular head shape are major considerations. Although yellow cheeks is a sure indicator the lack of yellow is not.

 

[Midnightman14]

Hi everyone!
I'm an undergraduate student doing Research with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on naturalized hybrid peafowl in Southern Florida to better understand the ecology of introduced and invasive bird species. Part of the project is proving that the population of birds in question are indeed hybrids through visual means, which is where I need help from you!

If you keep adult male spalding peafowl, I humbly request photos of them in order to compare with feral individuals! Photos ideally have a good view of the bird's facial skin, crest and wing. If you know the birds's ancestry (recently cross between green and blue, backcross or splaying x spalding cross) add it, Also let me know how you would like to be credited for providing data (name, attached to the photo or DM'ed to me, or as an anonymous contributor) to be included in a paper if this research ever gets published.

Thank you for your help in advance!
Sarah

I just finished my masters in Zoology with an emphasis in ecological restoration. I can send a few photos of both very high and low percentage hybrids and help you with ID markers. My research in part involved invasives so I would be able to give some input on how spalding blood may effect the birds' fitness.

 

[KsKingBee]

I just finished my masters in Zoology with an emphasis in ecological restoration. I can send a few photos of both very high and low percentage hybrids and help you with ID markers. My research in part involved invasives so I would be able to give some input on how spalding blood may effect the birds' fitness.

Congratulations!

 

[Kassandreia]

Hi everyone!
I'm an undergraduate student doing Research with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on naturalized hybrid peafowl in Southern Florida to better understand the ecology of introduced and invasive bird species. Part of the project is proving that the population of birds in question are indeed hybrids through visual means, which is where I need help from you!

If you keep adult male spalding peafowl, I humbly request photos of them in order to compare with feral individuals! Photos ideally have a good view of the bird's facial skin, crest and wing. If you know the birds's ancestry (recently cross between green and blue, backcross or splaying x spalding cross) add it, Also let me know how you would like to be credited for providing data (name, attached to the photo or DM'ed to me, or as an anonymous contributor) to be included in a paper if this research ever gets published.

Thank you for your help in advance!
Sarah

This is Phoenix 2yr High Spalding! His dad was Full Pavo Muticus and his grandparents were shipped here from Asia. His mother I was told was a high pied spalding! I will send some of his mate and son after this!

 

[Midnightman14]

This is Phoenix 2yr High Spalding! His dad was Full Pavo Muticus and his grandparents were shipped here from Asia. His mother I was told was a high pied spalding! I will send some of his mate and son after this!
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View attachment 3592137

looks to be split either pied or white.

 

[Kassandreia]

Hi everyone!
I'm an undergraduate student doing Research with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology on naturalized hybrid peafowl in Southern Florida to better understand the ecology of introduced and invasive bird species. Part of the project is proving that the population of birds in question are indeed hybrids through visual means, which is where I need help from you!

If you keep adult male spalding peafowl, I humbly request photos of them in order to compare with feral individuals! Photos ideally have a good view of the bird's facial skin, crest and wing. If you know the birds's ancestry (recently cross between green and blue, backcross or splaying x spalding cross) add it, Also let me know how you would like to be credited for providing data (name, attached to the photo or DM'ed to me, or as an anonymous contributor) to be included in a paper if this research ever gets published.

Thank you for your help in advance!
Sarah

This is Siren 4yr! I was told she was high silver pied spalding but I believe she is mid or maybe even low.. she is big love the greens, the places she has colored feathers are more green feather characteristics, she is quiet like greens but honks at danger or new concerns, but has a fanned out crest.. also don’t forget to consider traditional laced wings vs black shoulder iridescent wings on the blue side of the hybrids as well! I think siren may have both mutations on her blue side.. And lastly you’ll see Siren and Phoenix’s baby, Caladrius, with her who is all white! However, I think he will be high too as his size has been dramatically bigger compared to an all white blood tested sexed as male Indian blue of same age! His crest is also coming out more narrow, may even become more speared than Phoenix’s!!

 

[Kassandreia]

looks to be split either pied or white.

Yes split to pied, his mama was a pied!

 

[KsKingBee]

Yes split to pied, his mama was a pied!

Nope, momma had both Pied and White genes and gave one or the other. Now that Phoenix has been bred to a Silver Pied and produced White he has to be split to White as momma gave her White gene and Phoenix gave his only White gene to Baby who is White which means it has two White genes one from both parents, one from Phoenix and one from the SP momma. If Phoenix was split Pied he would have given his only Pied gene and the SP hen would give either Pied or White. If both parents gave a Pied gene the chick would be wild pattern with maybe some white feathers. If it got Phoenix Pied Gene and mommas White gene it would have been Pied. So there is no doubt that Phoenix is split White.

 

[Kassandreia]

Nope, momma had both Pied and White genes and gave one or the other. Now that Phoenix has been bred to a Silver Pied and produced White he has to be split to White as momma gave her White gene and Phoenix gave his only White gene to Baby who is White which means it has two White genes one from both parents, one from Phoenix and one from the SP momma. If Phoenix was split Pied he would have given his only Pied gene and the SP hen would give either Pied or White. If both parents gave a Pied gene the chick would be wild pattern with maybe some white feathers. If it got Phoenix Pied Gene and mommas White gene it would have been Pied. So there is no doubt that Phoenix is split White.

Thank you for clarifying! Oh and the rest of the clutch varied from fully colored looking, a couple pied variants, and just the one solid white. Phoenix mama was only verbalized to me but my confusion started with her bc there was no proof of anything and many like myself are still understanding the genetics but what does that tell you from a good range of color in this first clutch?!