Hi all
I don't want to get into a debate over terminology, so if I was meant
to use something other than 'leucistic', don't tell me about it ( :
Earlier this Dry season there was a Welcome Swallow (or poss
Pacific Swallow?) at the Darwin sewage works that was completely
white where it should have been rufous and showing spots of white
in other places (e.g. wings) as well. During the period since then it
has undergone a moult so that its colour looks entirely typical now
for Welcome Swallow. In between it looked rather strange, with red
spots scattered over its forehead and throat.
My questions are:
is this a fairly common occurrence, for these swallows to show NO
rufous?
is it common for leucistic birds to moult into normal plumage (a
'white' Wandering Whistling Duck that visited the Darwin sewage
works for a few dry seasons continued to be 'white' over a number
of years, and may still be, or may be dead, or may have become
normal and got lost in the crowd).
Thanks in advance for any gems of wisdom. The bird is still around,
by the way, but is likely to disappear fairly soon as the wet season
build-up closes in.
Niven
************
P.O. Box 41382
Casuarina 0811 NT
Australia
Ph. 62 8 89451130
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