Abnormal colouring- Australian Raven

["Philip Veerman" <>]

I pulled CBN off the book shelf and flipped through the back covers. The article was by Chris Davey 2005 'A plethora of white-winged ravens' CBN 30(4);160, it also includes a photo attributed to Geoffrey Dabb, of a raven with several white feathers. The suggestion by Anthony Overs is that it is just the the waxy sheaths on growing feathers and yes it does look like that. Even though birds moult every year you don't typically see that, usually as the feather bases are hidden underneath the feathers above. In this case they might also be missing, the bird appears to show other signs of moult).  The beak colour of that bird certainly is also odd. 

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----From: Geoffrey Dabb [ Sent: Sunday, 22 February 2015 11:19 AM      To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Abnormal colouring- Australian Raven

I had a look in the website for the CBN article on this by (I think) Chris Davey – or was it Michael Braby?  I don’t seem to be able to search the CBN holdings any more, although it is stated they are ‘searchable’. I am getting too old for the technology.  A general search of the website brings up A Raven photos, including one of a part albino from some years ago

 

 

From: Philip Veerman [ Sent: Saturday, 21 February 2015 10:09 PM      To: 'Ryu Callaway'; 'COG Chat'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Abnormal colouring- Australian Raven

 

A few years ago we had some Aus Ravens with white patches. There was one regularly around my house (west Kambah) for I think several months, that had one wing mostly white, until I found it dead one day. I think it was Chris Davey who had a similar one near his home. The strange coloured beak in the one in your photo is more unusual.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryu Callaway
Sent: Saturday, 21 February 2015 9:42 PM
To: COG Chat
Subject: [canberrabirds] Abnormal colouring- Australian Raven

What do you make of the beak and the white in wings? Taken in Erindale. 

 

Ryu