SOFTBILLS

Dunnock at Yorkshire  Show 1991

              Starling at Yorkshire               B.B & H.C Show 1991

COLOUR VARIANT SOFTBILLS  CLICK HERE

Song Thrush at the English National     1991

Hybrids produced from softbills are rarely seen on the show bench but a few types have been bred over the years either purposely or by chance, there is a lot of scope here, to be the first person to produce a new cross. As there are so few softbill breeders in Britain, that could be one  of the main reasons, but softbills are at the moment becoming more popular again so we may see a few more hybrids I hope. Below are the only Softbill Hybrids that I Know for sure that have been produced, unless you know different ?
FIELDFARE X BLACKBIRD

Bred for the first time  in 1978 both parents can be seen in this cross

 

 

 

 BLACKBIRD X SONG THRUSH

This hybrid has only been bred  on a few occasions I believe that the first one appeared in the 1930's and by all accounts resembled a melanistic thrush but on closer examination the male Blackbird could be seen in this cross. The bird on the left and below was bred by Bernard Howlett I took this photo at the London & home counties show 2003.

 

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 FIELDFARE X MISTLE THRUSH

Bred for the first time in 1978 both parents can be seen in this cross

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YELLOW X PIED WAGTAIL

The first time this cross was achieved I believe was in 1958 several young were bred from this same pair, as a hybrid the parentage was far from being obvious as the beautiful colours of the yellow superseded by those of the pied, the breeder of these birds Mr. J Spinks had plenty of witnesses to prove that these birds were genuine hybrids and not just mis coloured Pied Wagtails and the birds were excepted without any doubt.

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RING OUZEL X MISTLE THRUSH

This hybrid clearly shows its parentage

WHINCHAT X STONECHAT