McGILL BIRD OBSERVATORY

ODDITIES

Banding offers us a rare opportunity to take a close look at some of the oddities of the bird world.  Abnormal pigmentation, deformities, irregular moulting, and even hybrids are under normal circumstances difficult to spot and describe, but having birds in the hand allows us to document their occurrence and investigate the causes behind them.  On this page we'll feature photos of some of these 'odd birds', along with commentary on some.  We welcome your input - please e-mail us (oddities@migrationresearch.org) if you have similar experiences or any comments to share.


Abnormal pigmentation:

American Robin with partial albinism (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - October 2004)


Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, September 2004


Hatch-year Baltimore Orioles with red pigmentation (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - August 2006)


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Hatch-year male American Redstart with unusually orange pigmentation (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - August 2006)


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Swamp Sparrow with irregular white rectrices (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - September 2005)


Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, September 2005


Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, September 2005


Female House Sparrow with a single white primary covert (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - April 2006)


Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, April 2006


Ovenbird with irregular white alula and primary covert (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - September 2007)


Photo by Marie-Anne Hudson, September 2007


Common Redpoll with orange cap (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - March 2006)


Photo by Marcel Gahbauer, March 2006


Lincoln's Sparrow with white toenails (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - September 2006)


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, September 2006


Gray Catbird with white toenails (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - September 2006)


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, September 2006


Deformities:

Tree Swallow with crossed bill (Hamilton, Ontario - May 2006)



Photos by Marcel Gahbauer, May 2006


Irregular moulting:

Hatch-year Song Sparrow replacing primary coverts (McGill Bird Observatory, Montreal QC, August 2006)
This Song Sparrow was banded earlier in August and was distinctly in juvenile plumage at the time.  Upon recapture on August 25, it was seen to be replacing its primary coverts sequentially, along with the corresponding primaries.  Such a pattern of feather replacement was believed to occur only during second and subsequent prebasic moults, but as this bird has shown, there is still a lot to be learned about even the most common species.

 
(Photo by Seabrooke Leckie)


Hatch-year Common Yellowthroat with some rectrices replaced (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - August 2006)


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Hatch-year White-throated Sparrow with rectrix being replaced (McGill Bird Observatory, Quebec - September 2006)


Photo by Seabrooke Leckie, August 2006


Hybrids:

Intergrade Flicker (Yellow-shafted x Red-shafted) at Pointe-aux-Prairies QC, June 2005
Although reasonably often encountered in the west where the ranges of the Yellow-shafted and Red-shafted Flicker overlap, seeing an intergrade individual as far east as Montreal is very unusual.  Note the three distinctly pink-shafted primaries in the first two photos below, contrasting with the remainder of the yellow-shafted flight feathers; this pattern was symmetrical.  The third photo shows the tail, with the shaft of r2 on both sides slightly more pink than the adjacent feathers (the contrast doesn't show up on camera as well as it did in the field - and is clearly less obvious than that of the wing, visible in the background of the same photo).


Photos by Gilles Burelle, June 2005

Possible hybrid chickadee (Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, Calgary AB, July 2007)
This peculiar-looking chickadee appears to be a resident at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary, first caught during banding activities in July, and recaptured at least twice more in August and September.  It is speculated to be a hybrid between a Black-capped Chickadee and either Boreal or Chestnut-backed Chickadee.  However, it is also possible that the brown feathers are just an unusual occurrence of aberrant plumage.  Any thoughts about the identity of this bird are welcome (oddities@migrationresearch.org). 


Photos by Shonna McLeod, July 2007


 

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