birding-aus

Magpie morphs

To: <>
Subject: Magpie morphs
From: "Gordon and Pam Cain" <>
Date: Sun, 22 Oct 2006 14:41:39 +1000
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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