A photographic record of partial leucism in Greater Coucal Centropus sinensis (Stephens, 1815) (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae) from Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract

Leucism is a colour anomaly defined by a lack of pigmentation, which may be partial or full in any individual. Although genetic and environmental factors contribute to a high incidence of plumage colour aberrations in wild birds, the true incidence of these aberrations in wild populations has been studied very less. The present report describes an instance of partial leucism in a Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) from Chhattisgarh, India. This colour aberration in this species was first documented in 1990. More research is needed to determine the exact reasons for the high incidence of partial leucism in wild birds, which might include nutrition, lifespan, behaviour, parasitism, or other environmental factors.

Observation of a Middle Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocoptes medius with aberrant, brown-coloured plumage

“…Numerous occurrences of colour aberrations in birds, involving melanism, leucism, albinism and others, have been documented for a wide range of species. For example, Coppersmith Barbets (Gayen et al 2022), Greater Coucals (Alby et al 2023), Indian Pied Starlings (Jangir et al 2013 and House Sparrow and several other species ( van Grouw 2021). In nature, 'brown' male woodpeckers are rare because they can only be born from a 'brown' mother and a normally-coloured father that is heterozygotous for this mutation and, of course, from parents that are both 'brown'; with that colour defined as a heritable mutation which affects the synthesis of the eumelanin ( van Grouw et al 2021).…”

Records of avian deformities in Nepal

“…Mahabal et al 2016, Laczi et al 2019b, leucism (a total lack of pigments from parts of the plumage or the entire plumage, e.g. Gayen et al 2022, Alby et al 2023, brown (reduction only of eumelanin content, e.g. van Grouw et al 2011), dilution (reduction of melanin content, e.g.…”

First photographic record of a colour aberrant Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis from the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, India

“…Izquierdo et al 2018). In addition to variations in colour between species, pigment-related colour aberrations are also occasionally observed among different species ( van Grouw 2013, Alby et al 2023. Colour aberrations in birds have always fascinated bird watchers and ornithologists.…”