Melanistic Owls (1 Viewer)

[StevieEvans]

Are there any known examples of this known in any owl species ?

SE.

 

[Martin Thomas]

Lots of journals on melanism in birds including ospreys, wheatears and king penguins but can't find any UK species references yet.

I suppose it could be argued the American barn owl is a melanistic version of ours or is ours leucistic? Chickens and eggs?

An interesting question, will keep looking.

In the meantime a quick Google search found these.

http://biosci.cbs.umn.edu/~mou/owls.html (with images)

http://articles.owlpages.net/news.php?article=86&page=5

 

[bubobubo]

this is an excellent question. I do know of one single barn owl here in belgium being melanistic. it is also something i am studying at the moment (just a personal study cos i'm a nosy moo and find owl feathers just simply amazing). I will certainly have my eye on this thread and look forward to reading more answers. that melanistic great grey is stunning. well done for such a great question.
bubo

 

[hannu]

Leucistic Great Grey Owl
Strix nebulosa
at Vesanto, E Finland on April 1, 1994

http://users.utu.fi/hlehto/photo/color/strneb/owl100.gif

 

[hannu]

More pictures about the Leucistic/albinistic Great Grey Owl 'Linda' :

http://netti.nic.fi/~mattisj/Lindaengl.html

 

[bubobubo]

More pictures about the Leucistic/albinistic Great Grey Owl 'Linda' :

http://netti.nic.fi/~mattisj/Lindaengl.html

yes this is the bird i knew about too :bounce:
i'm still trying to get the info on the melanistic barny here.
bubo

 

[StevieEvans]

Hello
(Thanks for all the info, i'm still digesting it all)

Recently i Have been given info from an experienced source of 2 melanistic examples of Barn Owl.
I have an invitation to get a first hand experience of these.
Will report back as soon as ive been.

Steve.

 

[RockyRacoon]

I have seen photographs of melanistic Little Owls, including one in Birdwatching Magazine. (October I think)

 

[mattisj]

Are there any known examples of this known in any owl species ?

SE.

Here some references about albinos etc.., hope they helps:

Albinos:
1. Stnx varia North America (Dean 1976).

2. Otus asio Long Island 1982-87 (Holte et al 1995).

3.Ross (1983) Otus asio

4. Sri Lanka Strix leptogrammica (Henry 1969).

5. Italia Strix aluco (Mikkola & Sayers 1997). '

6. Spring 1996 Somersetin klinik
England Strix aluco (Sayers 1996).

7. Asio flammeus 1967 Ketelhaven, Holland
(Alaja & Mikkola 1997).

Uncomplete albinos:

1.Athene cunicularia America
(Sutton 1912).

2. Bubo virginianus America (Spofford 1952).

3. Asio flammeus America (Sage
1883).

4. Otus kennicottii Washingtonista (Hot et ai 1995).

5. Spain Jerez population of Athene
noctua in Jerez zoo (Mikkola & Sayers 1997).

6. Pulsatrix perspicillata (Sayers 1996).

7. Private owl zoo, Bill Ayling England Tyto alba
(Mikkola & Sayers 1997).

8. Bernhard Sayers England private owl zoo
Otus bakkamoena. flavistic owlet
1994, 1995 ja 1996 (Mikkola & Sayers 1997).

9. Lincoln childs zoo America Otus
asio (Bennett 1969) (Schneider 1969).


References:

Alaja P 1994. Iso vaalea vaelsi Vesannolle. Eläinmaa-
ilma 5/94:38-41.

Alaja P & Mikkola H 1997. Incomplete albino Great
Grey Owl in Finland. The Second International
Symposium: Biology and Conservation of Owls
of the Northem Hemisphere; February 5-9, 1997,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Bennet EB 1969. Albino Screech Owl. Nebraska Bird
Review 37:16.

Deane R 1976. Albinism and melanism among North
America Birds. Bulletin of the Nuttal Omitologi-
cal Club 2:20-24.

Gross AO 1965. The incidence of albinism in Nort
Americas Birds. Bird-Banding 36:67-71.

Henry GM 1969. A Guide to the Birds of Ceylon. Ka-
nada, Ceylon.

Holland G 1991. Second Albino Great Grey Owl
sighted in Manitoba. Blue Jay 49(1):32.

Holt DW & Robertson MW & Ricks JT 1995. Albino
Eastern Screech-owl, Asio otus. Canadien Field-
Naturalistl09(l):121-122.

Lehto HJ & Lehto H 1995. Leucistic Great Grey Owl
in Finland in March-April 1994. Dutch Birding
1/95:19-20.

Mikkola H 1983. Owls of Europe. A.D. & Trevor Po-
yser, Academic Press, London.

Mikkola H 1997. Finns and Owls. Owls Magazine
Voi. 3(2):7-9.

Mikkola H & Sayers B 1997. Albinism in owls. Tyto
Voi. 2(2): in press.

Mueller CD & Hutt FB 1941. Genetics of the fowl,
sex-linked imperfect melanism. Journal of Here-
dity 32:71-80.

Nero RW 1981. White Great Grey Owl. Blue Jay
49(1):31.

Ross CC 1973. Some additional records of albinism
in North American birds. Cassinia 54:18-19.

Sage JH 1983. A partial albino Short-eared Owl. Bul-
letin of the Nuttall Omithological Club 8:183

Sayers B 1996. A Personal of Colour Mutations. Tyto
Voi. 1(1):24-29.

Schneider J 1969. Albino Screech Owl. Nebraska
Bird Review 37:16.

Scriven R 1984. A Note on Albinism in the Great
Gray Owl. Blue Jay 42(3):173-174.

Seebohm H 1976. The Birds of Siberia. Alan Sutton,
Dursley.

Spofford WR 1952. A partial albino homed owl.
Kingbird 2:84.

Sutton GM 1912. An Albinic Burrowing Owl. Bird
Love 14:184.

Wanders l 1994. Albino Great Grey Owl in Finland.
Blue Jay 52(4):228.

Whitefield MB & Maj ME & Kelley J 1995. Incomp-
lete Albino Great Grey Owl in Idaho. Blue Jay
53(4):197-199.

-------------
matti

 

[Nightranger]

Are there any known examples of this known in any owl species ?

SE.

Hi Stevie,

I remember commenting about a melanistic barn owl that had been bred in captivity about two years ago. As far as I can recall, the article was in the Mirror but I did not keep a copy so my recollection may be flawed. I am afraid I am not egotistical enough to keep records of everything I do, which is a shame in this case because I cannot remember where the owl was bred either. DOH!

Ian

 

[bubobubo]

hello just browsing throught what i have stored on my pc and found this site. if you scroll right down to the bottom you will the white owls. very beautiful.
http://home.hetnet.nl/~bec-info/uilen01.htm

 

[Jurij Hanžel]

A melanistic Ural Owl crashed into a window in Ljubljana in October 2004 (!!).

 

[matt green]

never seen any melanistic owls round my way,what we do have in south norfolk is more melanistic bunnys than the local''elmar fudd''knows what to do with?,matt [still not a proper birder]
ps wered dat wabbit go?

 

[StevieEvans]

Thanks for all the info...

That Great Grey Owl should perhaps be re-named.....!

SE.

 

[Nutcracker]

hello just browsing throught what i have stored on my pc and found this site. if you scroll right down to the bottom you will the white owls. very beautiful.
http://home.hetnet.nl/~bec-info/uilen01.htm

The white 'ransuil' (= Long-eared Owl) is a pure albino, red eyes and pink bill

 

[StevieEvans]

Thanks Peter
Looked at those pics, but missed the Long-eared.... :eek!:

(We'll theres a 1st time for everything.....! )

Steve

 

[bubobubo]

i do appologise i should have at least translated the names. I find all the different types of albinisme and melanistic owls so beautiful especially the great grey.

I know of a guy here in belgium who bred melanistic barn owls and one did go to the uk and that was two years ago. Unfortunately it went to the new forest collection if i remember rightly.

bubo