Spatial overlap and phenotypic similarity predict hybridisation in birds

Abstract

Hybridisation is widespread in birds and has important eco-evolutionary implications. Historically, much research has focused on the consequences of hybridisation. To date, however, far less attention has been paid to the causes of hybridisation and, in particular, why particular pairs of species form hybrids. Using large-scale comparative analyses, we find that similarity in plumage, vocalisations, and morphometric traits, as well as evolutionary relatedness, drive hybridisation in North American and European birds. In passerines, the avian order including songbirds, similarity in vocalisations and morphology are the key phenotypic predictors of hybridisation, whereas in non-passerines, species pairs with similar plumage and morphology are more likely to hybridise. We also find that the likelihood of hybrid formation increases with the magnitude of range and habitat overlap, demonstrating that hybridisation is not just a product of occasional contact between closely related species. Our findings have important conservation implications in this age of rapid anthropogenic change and species reassembly.

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Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{nesbit2026spatial,
  title = {{Spatial overlap and phenotypic similarity predict hybridisation in birds}},
  author = {D. A. Nesbit and M. Cowen and G. F. Grether and E. Miller and R. Ligon and M. Brambilla and T. Chodkiewicz and B. Fontaine and A. Gamero and F. Jiguet and I. Oien and A. Lindstrom and D. Massimino and D. Palm and B. Stokke and S. Trautmann and J. P. Drury},
  howpublished = {bioRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.64898/2026.10.21.759569},
  url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.759569v1},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Spatial overlap and phenotypic similarity predict hybridisation in birds
AU  - D. A. Nesbit
AU  - M. Cowen
AU  - G. F. Grether
AU  - E. Miller
AU  - R. Ligon
AU  - M. Brambilla
AU  - T. Chodkiewicz
AU  - B. Fontaine
AU  - A. Gamero
AU  - F. Jiguet
AU  - I. Oien
AU  - A. Lindstrom
AU  - D. Massimino
AU  - D. Palm
AU  - B. Stokke
AU  - S. Trautmann
AU  - J. P. Drury
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/21
PB  - bioRxiv
DO  - 10.64898/2026.10.21.759569
UR  - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.21.759569v1
AB  - Hybridisation is widespread in birds and has important eco-evolutionary implications. Historically, much research has focused on the consequences of hybridisation. To date, however, far less attention has been paid to the causes of hybridisation and, in particular, why particular pairs of species form hybrids. Using large-scale comparative analyses, we find that similarity in plumage, vocalisations, and morphometric traits, as well as evolutionary relatedness, drive hybridisation in North American and European birds. In passerines, the avian order including songbirds, similarity in vocalisations and morphology are the key phenotypic predictors of hybridisation, whereas in non-passerines, species pairs with similar plumage and morphology are more likely to hybridise. We also find that the likelihood of hybrid formation increases with the magnitude of range and habitat overlap, demonstrating that hybridisation is not just a product of occasional contact between closely related species. Our findings have important conservation implications in this age of rapid anthropogenic change and species reassembly.
ER  -

Abstract

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