Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 11:14:32 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Adam Smith Subject: Albinism in Hawks and color morph descriptions... MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable There was another Red-tailed Hawk that was at least a partial albino, = seen MANY years ago in Hancock MD. It was trapped by DNR and supposedly = entered into a breeding program. They named it "Snowy". The bird was = all white, except for the characteristic red-tail, which had not black = barring on it and if I am remembering correctly it has some reddish = belly-band feathers. It did have dark eyes. Now this was seen by me and = my family many years ago when I was in high school, I am 32 now. My = parents saved the local paper that had the picture of the bird and the = article about it, but it is hopelessly packed away right now. I do not = recall beak, foot or talon color. Below is some terms that are used in snake breeding. These hold true = for the reptiles, I am not sure how well it transfers over to birds, = but are not birds feathered-reptiles anyway...(oh wait that is another = can of worms..haha) Amelanistic : Typically this animal will be normally patterned, but = lacks any black pigment. Anerythristic : Typically this animal is normally patterned, but lacks = any red pigment. Leucistic : Typically this animal will be snow white with blue or black = eyes. ie. lack of all pattern and coloration except for the eyes. (I = do not have the cause of this, but I know it is not caused by the same = genetic defect that causes albinism.) Albinism : The animal lacks all pigmentation. Thus it is all white with = red eyes and pink exposed skin areas. This is caused by a genetic = defect. Piebald: The animal has patches of pattern/coloration that are normal = but also has patches that are totally white, ie no pattern at all.=20 Hope this helps. Adam Smith cyanbluecobalt@msn.com p.s. The partial albino(pie-bald) White-throated Sparrow that has shown = up for 2 years in a row, failed to make it appearance this winter at = parents place in Hancock MD. We do not know if it has perished or if it = did not show because of all of the activity in the construction at the = house. Hopefully it will show next winter. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D =========================================================================