Anomalía cromática en un Loro Barranquero (Cyanoliseus patagonus) en Bahía Blanca, Argentina

Abstract

Total or partial pigmentation deficiency in bird plumage is generally attributable to the expression of recessive alleles. Here, we describe a case of chromatic anomaly in the Burrowing Parrot (Cyanoliseus patagonus) in Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The observed individual exhibited an overall loss of pigmentation affecting both plumage and beak, displaying predominantly whitish and yellowish tones relative to the species’ typical coloration. This chromatic anomaly did not interfere with social interactions or pair bonding. Reporting these cases contributes to improving our estimations of the frequency and distribution of anomalies in the birds’ plumage coloration. That is particularly relevant in the Burrowing Parrot as its plumage coloration depends on psittacofulvins, a pigment specific to parrots.