Very rare warblers are hybrids of three species in the United States

American scientists first discovered hybrid warbler carrying genes of three separate species. This is the result of scarcity of partners.

The unusual warbler found in Pennsylvania, east of the United States, surprised scientists when genetic analysis showed that it was a crossbred of three separate species , which had never been recorded. Previously received, Science Alert on November 12 reported. The animal shares many of the same characteristics as the two yellow-winged and blue-winged warping birds, but has a distinctive voice of another warbler.

Hybrid warblers carry the genetic genes of three species.(Photo: Forbes).

This unique hybrid bird was first discovered and recorded in May 2018 by the Lowell Burket bird observer. Realizing that this is an unprecedented species, Burket reported his findings to the Bird Research Laboratory of Cornell University, USA. The anatomist David Toews, along with Burket, returned to Pennsylvania and was fortunate to meet the animal again.

Analysis of coded genes from blood samples collected by the research team showed that the animals carry the genetic genes of all three species: Vermivora chrysoptera (yellow-wing warbler), Vermivora cyanoptera (blue-wing warbler) and Dendroica pensylvanica ( chestnut hip-hop) . "This is an extremely rare case of Amerasians , " Toews was surprised by the results of the study.

Genealogy diagram of the new hybrid warbler.(Photo: Forbes).

Hybrids are quite common in wild animals, but most of them cross between two species. The hybrid between the yellow winged warbler and the green winged warbler, also known as Brewster warbler is also not uncommon in nature. However, this is the first time scientists have recorded the mother's Brewster hybrid case and the father-of-the-chested warbler producing a new hybrid species.

According to the team, the case of a crossbred between three species is reflecting the fact that wild populations of warbler have been alarmingly declining over the years. The scarcity of partners makes the trend of pairing different species becoming more common among warbler species. The study was published in the journal Biology Letters on November 7.