Sun conure & Quaker Parrot

Question
I recently aquired a quaker parrot and I have had a sun conure for approximately 4 years.  We have put them in the same cage, they get along very well.

I believe they are mating?  Is this possible?  The quaker is getting on top of the conure and it looks like sex to me.  The sonure is allowing this.

Can these two species breed and if their is a fertilized egg, what would it be?  

Answer
Hi, Kelly.  Thanks for posting.

Yes, what you are seeing is the mating process!  It's possible these 2 different species could mate.  However, they are so different genetically that fertilization probably wouldn't occur.  However, if it did, it's likely any offspring would be sterile, with the distinct possibility of other genetic problems.  Cross-breeding/hybridization in the wild is very rare.  You should not allow these 2 different species to mate.  You may need to separate these 2 birds.  Hybridization is not a good thing.  In some species of parrots, like conures, for example, a Sun Conure and a Jenday have been mated together to produce a subspecies of bird known as the Sunday.  Some large macaws are also cross-bred (Catalina macaw for example).  However, these species of birds are so closely related genetically that this type of hybridization is acceptable in the avian world.  However, breeding 2 different species of parrot is something that should not be allowed to happen even if it's possible.

Your parrots might just be going through the motions so to speak because of raging hormones.  However, if they are actually mating, this is not good at all and I recommend you separate them.  I've never seen, read, nor heard of anyone successfully breeding 2 different species of parrot.  Cross-breeding between genetically similar species does occur, but is not a good avian practice because the purity of the gene pool is disrupted.

Chrys