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The change in status for the orioles raises more questions for me than =

it answers. The reason as I understand it that the Baltimore Oriole is =

resurrected as its own species is that it was found that the =

hybridization that occurred between the Bullock=92s and the Baltimore was =

only in a small restricted area and outside of that area the two birds =

exist as separate species. Why wasn=92t this noted before when the first =

change was done? Why are the birds in the hybridization zone =

hybridizing ? Or rather, why isn=92t the hybridization happening =

elsewhere? All things being equal (which means, if the habitat wasn=92t =

destroyed) would there be more areas of hydbridization in a hundred =

years than there are now? Are there precedents in other species where a =

sharing of geographical area produced hybrids (mallards and anything =

else doesn=92t count)? I can=92t think of any off hand, certainly not as =

dramatic as the Bullock=92s and Baltimore Oriole. Where has the research =

for this reversal been written up? I=92m at work now so I don=92t have any=
=

of my texts around, but what are the chances of the Northern Oriole =

being a superspecies? I have seen very little discussion of =

superspecies in the last couple of years. The main place I did see it =

was in Volume 1 of the Lynx Edition of the Birds of the World.

If by chance anybody cares to tackle any of these questions over the =

next few hours could you cc me here at work. a-jimro at microsoft.com thanks=
.


Jim Rosso