Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers

The term Western Palearctic black-and-white flycatchers is used to refer to a group of similar-looking birds in the genus Ficedula:

European pied and collared flycatchers hybridise to a limited extent where their ranges meet; the hybrids have reduced fitness and usually do not survive their first winter (Parkin 2003). Female hybrids are usually sterile (Gelter et al. 1992; see also Haldane's Rule).

All species leave their breeding grounds to winter in Sub-Saharan Africa.

References

  • Gelter, H. P.; Tegelström, H. & Gustafsson, L. (1992): Evidence from hatching success and DNA fingerprinting for the fertility of hybrid Pied × Collared Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca – albicollis. Ibis 134(1): 62–68.
  • Parkin, David T. (2003): Birding and DNA: species for the new millennium. Bird Study 50(3): 223–242. HTML abstract


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