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May 2013

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From:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 4 May 2013 09:19:07 -0400
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Ned Keller asked in a post here the day before yesterday about Plegadis
ibises "Does anyone have a link to an image of ANY hybrid that is
actually known to be such? I don't mean just a bird that looks
intermediate, but a bird from a hybrid nest that was banded as a chick,
an adult identified by DNA, or any other source of actual positive
knowledge of its identity."  Fair question.  Vic Fazio, in a customarily
rambling response, admits he does not, referring to several of the key
papers Jack Stenger cites in his quoted post.
        Grzybowski's photos are very helpful in illustrating the variations we
encounter in these ibises (he carefully uses the word "groups" to
characterize them), but do not answer Ned's question, which involves
whether any number of even the finest photographs, descriptions, or
lengthy observations can, all by themselves, always tell us the identity
of the species involved. Vic mentions that many blood samples have been
collected over the past few seasons, but any answers to this question
seem not to have been made public. So the answer, based on what's been
reported, seems to be "no."
        Take the photos at  http://www.pbase.com/joe_grzybowski/ibis_heads ,
remove the captions, and shuffle them.   Throw in some photos of the
birds' legs, too, if you want. You will see where the handy notion
"apparent hybrid Plegadis ibis" comes from. If you want more of this
kind of fun, throw in the possibility of back-crosses, or--at the other
extreme--the chance there's only a single variable species involved!
Palmer, for example, as late as 1962 regarded glossy and white-faced as
subspecies (1:515-522).
        Ned, and I, and Vic, and many others have repeatedly been asked to
identify ibises described and photographed (seldom as well as
Grzybowski's) in Ohio, and it is a frustrating task. That's when the
"apparent hybrid ibis" moniker comes in handy. The "apparent" part,
frankly, is spin made necessary by the difficulties involved. One study
might help, it occurs to me. Has anyone examined a lot of museum
specimens to chart how these "apparent" birds have increased in numbers
over the past century?  This might provide some hints...
As uncertain as before,
Bill Whan



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