Species lines blur between two sparrows in New England's tidal marshes

Date:  August 31, 2015

Source:  University of New Hampshire

Summary:  Among birds, the line between species is often blurry. Some closely related species interbreed where their ranges overlap, producing hybrid offspring. In the coastal marshes of New England, this has been happening between the Saltmarsh Sparrow and Nelson's Sparrow. Research finds that appearance alone is not enough to identify these hybrid zone birds.

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