Rare bird in the Bay
A rare Burchall's Coucal was snapped in the Bay - and an albino one at that!
AVID bird watchers Angie and Gerhard Els were doubly surprised by a rare sighting in Richards Bay earlier this year – because not only did they spot the highly elusive Burchell’s Coucal (Centropus burchellii), but the bird was virtually entirely albino.
Such was the rarity that Gerhard’s photo featured in the September/October issue of the prestigious ‘African Birdlife’ magazine.
In the accompanying article, David Allan of the Durban Natural Science Museum comments that ‘the syndrome results from a genetic mutation that obstructs the manufacture of tyrosinase, an enzyme involved in the production of melanin pigments.
‘Melanins are the most common source of colour in birds and other animals.
‘The resulting absence of pigment manifests both throughout the plumage and in other parts of the body, such as the bill, eyes, skin and claws.’
Allan says such albino birds have a very short lifespan, among other limitations.
‘The snow-white coloration renders an albino immediately conspicuous to predators.
‘Feathers lacking melanin are far weaker than normally coloured plumage and wear faster and more severely, as is evidenced in the strikingly frayed tail of this bird.
‘The absence of pigment in the retina negatively affects eyesight, especially in bright sunlight.
‘There is also evidence that albinos in some bird species may be discriminated against by their parents when young and, if they survive to maturity, they may struggle to attract a mate as they may not be recognised as conspecific by potential partners.’
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