Strange Bullfinch in the Alps (1 Viewer)

[ugolino]

Hello everyone...would you call this a leucistic male eurasian bullfinch ?
All photos I have found of leucistic bullfinches showed white in the cap and the rest of the body was normal...whereas here it is the opposite, so I am confused.
Thank you in advance, ugolino

 

[chris butterworth]

With the pale bill and pink legs this is more correctly a semi-albino. Leucistic, scientifically, means diminished pigment, making the bird look washed out, but is often commonly used for birds like this.. Smart looking bird though.

Chris

 

[stonechat1]

Too many mutations out there already:
http://www.vogelforen.de/showthread...-Gimpel-Opal&p=2105757&viewfull=1#post2105757

or

http://eurobird-and-co.forumactif.com/t4807-bouvreuil-blanc-jaune

 

[chris butterworth]

I must admit the thought of it being an escape from aviculture did cross my mind. It has the look of a bird bred specifically for a particular mutation - just a bit too 'clean'.

Chris

 

[ugolino]

So, I think I ought to conclude that he is an escaped mutant. Thank you for your help and suggestions. Ugolino

 

[phil baber]

A new adaptive genetic mutation perhaps? Snow Bullfinch? 'S No "Bull"!

 

[Tiraya]

You can't always assume its an escape though.

Nevertheless its a really pretty bird in a perfect habitat.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

With the pale bill and pink legs this is more correctly a semi-albino. Leucistic, scientifically, means diminished pigment

I think the bird is leucistic, as to my understanding Albino means the bird cannot genetically produce any pigments (so it is all white) while leucistic means genetic problems in distributing the pigments (so it can be partly white, pale or other unusual plumage). Here, it seems mainly one pigment had a problem of distribution...

 

[David Norgate]

That is one amazing bird. From my perspective I'd like to believe it is a natural 'oddity' / varient, rather than a 'scientifically' (I use that word loosely!) developed escape. There is an excellent leucistic Goldfinch picture currently in the Rare birds thread.

 

[James Emerson]

I'm not sure that semi-albino is a legitimate term, as 'albino' is usually defined as a complete lack of melanin, and you can't have a semi-complete lack. In this case it the bird isn't albino as the bird still has black on it.

It looks to me as if it isn't producing whatever pigment is normally responsible for the pink colouration (some type of carotenoid?), and the 'correct' name would depend on what this pigment is and why it isn't expressed (i.e. an enzyme missing, gene switched off etc).

Either way it's a great bird to see.

With the pale bill and pink legs this is more correctly a semi-albino. Leucistic, scientifically, means diminished pigment, making the bird look washed out, but is often commonly used for birds like this.. Smart looking bird though.

Chris

 

[chris butterworth]

A few years ago we had a Eur Oystercatcher in the wintering flock on the Wirral with the black parts the colour of weak tea because of a reduced level pigment. A leucistic bird. For the last 10+ years there has been a bird with admixed white and black feathers on the head and upperparts. A partial, or semi-albino. Some feathers showing a complete lack of pigment and others 'normally' pigmented. The bird above has parts of the plumage 'normal' and others white, not a paler colour than 'normal'. the legs are devoid of pigment but the bill still retains some, particularly at the base and the eye appears dark. It's showing both 'normal' and albinistic features so it cannot be fitted into a single category such as 'leucist' or 'albino' therefore - SEMI-albino.

Chris

 

[Tiraya]

Isn't leucism any kind of pale or lacking pigments though? Thus anything that isn't albinism would be considered leucism.

 

[njlarsen]

One of the best definitions of different pigment problems is here http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=28261&postcount=11

Niels

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Hi there,

There are several ways of describing the terms, but amongst them, the genetic problem that prevent the bird (or animal) to produce pigment is albinism, and the fact that it is only partially white is a totally different problem that should be called with another word, such leusicm (but we could imagine to split pale/isabelline bird than partially white in two diferent type of leucism as well).

Cheers