inter species breeding

Maybe they both have a nest in that area,think it impossible that they are mates so to speak.  

michael s said:

Maybe they both have a nest in that area,think it impossible that they are mates so to speak.  

good idea but double checked both are using same nest ! Goose may have the answer.

thank you again,

Don

Philip B said:

I can remember reading once that Robins have an extremely high maternal instinct and that it is not uncommon for them to get suckered into helping out newly fledged/hatched chicks from other species of bird. It could be that this robin has happened upon the bluetit nest and taken upon itself to join in the chick rearing! There is certainly no chance of them producing a brood of their own! Keep a look out for the buddies and let us know how they get on!!

sounds good to me ....I will keep you posted

thank you again ,

Don

Unknown said:

Two such different species couldn't successfully interbreed. If they are indeed visiting the same nest then it sounds like one or other of them has latched onto feeding a brood of chicks that don't belong to them. The urge to cram food into the throat of a nestling is so strong that birds sometimes make a mistake (or in the case of cuckoo hosts, can be tricked into feeding someone else's young!). Perhaps one of them has lost a brood and/or mate and got sidetracked...

Funnily enough I had a phone call just yesterday from a gentleman who'd been watching a pair of blue tits feeding their young in a ceramic nest box in his garden - aided by a wren!

Colin

many thanks Colin...sounds as if this is most likely answer,

best wishes,

Don

I have a young male robin in my garden with a black band along the top of its beak and white flashes on its wings and several others with degrees of white flashing on wings - maybe its siblings? - for all the world looking as though it has some caffinch genetic material. Are you certain birds can't inter-breed?

Different species can indeed interbreed, but only with very closely related species. It's quite common in ducks, for example, and recorded in gulls and terns. Blue tits and robins are not at all closely related to I think it is highly improbable that they could produce viable eggs, let alone recognize each other of a mating attempt. Another thing here is that interbreeding usually only happens when there are not suitable males or female available of the same species. Not an issue for robins and blue tits, which are some of our commonest birds.

Hi Cris. I maybe didn't explain well. My query was as to whether the Robin might be carrying Chaffinch genetic material, ref the black band across the top of the beak and white wing flashes. The reference to blue tit was just supporting info from another source in 2010. I'm trying to get photos, but a camera, the bird/s and myself are never in the same location at the same time

Robins won't carry chaffinch genetic material, for the same reason as they won't carry blue tit genetic material - not closely related enough.