UPDATE #2 - Leucistic Olive-Backed Sunbird

[Ramon Quisumbing]

UPDATE #2

I understand that leucism is the lack of pigmentation in feathers which makes them white, and that piebald leucism is the lack of pigmentation in darker feathers whereas the lighter-colored feathers are normal. Therefore, I concluded that this is a piebald leucistic Olive-Backed Sunbird.

While going through my brother JJ's photos, I saw 2 documentary photos of the OBS in flight. The first photo shows that the wing feathers are not just white but translucent, so that its legs are visible behind the feathers. This indicates that the wing feathers not only lack pigmentation but are thinner than normal.


Even more unusual is the second photo which shows the wing feathers bending and fraying when the wings flap - which also indicates that the feathers are thinner than normal and hence more flexible. I would think that this leucistic OBS does not fly as well as normal OBS's.


xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ORIGINAL POSTING

Our group of birders arrived this morning in Bohol. On the road to Simply Butterflies Conservation Center in Bilar, Bohol, I glanced up at a power pole and saw a tiny white bird. I shouted for the driver to stop, and we all scrambled to photograph it. It was a LIFER for all 5 of us! It was a sunbird building its nest - but it was white and yellow!!! Maybe it is a new species that should be called "Canary Sunbird" ;D

ID please.









adminnote:Admin Note: This topic is moved back to this board as per request of Ramon Q.

[Mick Harris]

I wonder if it's a mutation, some kind of leucism (or a lutino form) in a known species. Great shots anyway.
I'm sure an expert will provide the answer ... a very good 'spot'.
It'll be interesting to see the resultant youngsters if they breed successfully and also to see the birds mate which I suspect might be a 'normally' coloured individual.

[Jessar Inocencio (JOYiNO)]

maybe its a kind of albinism...

[Clemn A. Macasiano Jr.]

Since it's feet is not white then I suppose it's a white morp OBS. Will leave it to the experts. Please, post it in the ID section for the expert to see, if you haven't done so . . . Good find Ramon

[steve pryor]

Clemn,
That is what it looks like to me as well. Olive-backed Sunbird. Pigment aberrations in birds is a very complex subject. More than one pigment-system is involved besides the well-known melanin system, in some cases the birds have group-specific pigment systems. The sex of the bird also enters into the expression of many of these forms.

This is certainly a leucistic bird. It is not xanthochroic (which some might think if they concentrate just on the yellow on the breast and upper belly) - it is not because if the bird were normomophic those areas would be yellowish anyway.

[Ely Teehankee]

This would be a very challenging bird for the ornithologist to identify. It could be a new specie that is endemic to the Philippines. In the absence of a positive id the Canary Sunbird is a good name to start with. Congratulations Ramon on this rare find. Well done & Mabuhay.

[Burr Patterson, Jr.]

Great Pictures

[steve pryor]

Apr 29, 2012 18:21:36 GMT Ely Teehankee said:

This would be a very challenging bird for the ornithologist to identify. It could be a new specie that is endemic to the Philippines. In the absence of a positive id the Canary Sunbird is a good name to start with. Congratulations Ramon on this rare find. Well done & Mabuhay.

Occam's Razor. Not a new species. A known species bird with a pigmentation problem. On jizz alone, it is almost certainly Cinnyris j. jugularis (Olive-backed Sunbird).

[Ramon Quisumbing]

Apr 30, 2012 8:09:26 GMT steve pryor said:

Occam's Razor. Not a new species. A known species bird with a pigmentation problem. On jizz alone, it is almost certainly Cinnyris j. jugularis (Olive-backed Sunbird).

Steve, you hit the nail on the head! The "Canary Sunbird" is a leucistic Olive-Backed Sunbird. And it is a female, since its mate is a normal male OBS. Yesterday, on the way to the airport, we stopped and took more photos.


Is this more accurately a piebald leucistic OBS, since its feathers are not totally white? The yellow feathers are still yellow, whereas the otherwise darker feathers are white.

Incidentally, the male OBS is not a very attractive one -- which might explain why he hooked up with the leucistic female (who probably appears ugly to other OBS's). If the male was an attractive male, he might have gotten a normal or better-looking female. ;D

[William Lim]

Great capture, Ramon. Thanks Steve for the information.

[Clemn A. Macasiano Jr.]

Got a call yesterday from Bohol guys. The nest fell off the ground due to strong wind and heavy rain the other day. Hope they will build again ...

[Ramon Quisumbing]

May 5, 2012 5:18:20 GMT Clemn A. Macasiano Jr. said:

Got a call yesterday from Bohol guys. The nest fell off the ground due to strong wind and heavy rain the other day. Hope they will build again ...

Oh, no! That's bad news!

I suspect the nest was taken by a local guy. When Micky and I were photographing the Sunbirds and nest on 5/2/12 on the way to the airport, 2 local guys approached and watched us and asked questions about the Sunbirds. I became uneasy and worried that they would take the nest after we left.

I also hope the Sunbirds will rebuild a nest in a more hidden locaton. Unfortunately, the Simply Butterflies birdguides may not be able to monitor the nest and check if the leucism is passed down to any offspring.

[Clemn A. Macasiano Jr.]

@ Ramon same case happened to us ... But every time somebody approaches us we stopping shooting and point the camera on the Woodpecker nest or face the other side. Better stop shooting for for a while for the welfare of the nest and resume when no one is around. One local pointed the nest to us ... We said .... It's an ORDINARY BIRD .... WE LIKE THE WOODPECKER most .... Local name "BATOK" .

[Mark Itol]

Interesting find, Ramon. Too bad about the news.