Leucism is a condition not all that uncommon in the wild. Attractive as these aberrations are for us observers, it is not a favourable attribute for animals.
As published in Nature inFocus on September 03, 2021.
It’s a kingfisher! No, it’s a barbet! Wait, is it a new species altogether?
Among the morphological features that aid in identifying a species, colours play a vital role. The Golden-throated Barbet, for example, has a distinct yellow-orange throat patch, and as the name suggests, Malabar Grey Hornbills are brown-grey in colour. We all know that this identification goes beyond birds. Malabar Pit Vipers are found in various colour morphs like green, brown, orange, yellow and chocolate brown, enabling them to hide in plain sight.
But, photographer Sounak Dutta faced a unique conundrum about three years ago in the Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal. He encountered a bird morphologically similar to the kingfisher but in all-white plumage. On close observation, he realised that it could be a Collared or a Black-capped Kingfisher that had lost its hues to leucism.
Read the complete story here. –> Mutants Of The Animal World