Dear all --
I live in NW Sydney, and we have lots of magpies here. Normally they are all
the race tibicen, with some variation on the plain white hood.
Last year we took a family holiday to Gippsland and I became well acquainted
with the leuconata with the whole white cape down the back.
Back here in Schofields, I have seen two unusual magpies since that time:
1. Last December my sons and I saw a magpie that was like the leuconata,
except that the white extended beyond the hood and cape to the entire wings
as well. It was a magpie, or something doing a very good imitation of one.
2. Later, I saw a magpie with leuconata colouration here too. The closest
I've ever seen those is Canberra.
So my question are:
Are these some sort of genetic oddities? Especially the first one?
And is the single leuconata literally a blow-in (like the GHL at Burren
Junction? -- maybe there is money to be made in this!), or is it some sort
of genetic oddity too?
Cheers
Gordon Cain
Schofields (Blacktown)
NW Sydney
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