From IFLscience
Here at IFLScience, it’s safe to say we have a soft spot for unusually colored animals, from bright lobsters to pink elephants, we can’t resist the color combinations that nature sometimes comes up with. The latest addition is no exception. Meet Blanquita, the first reported case of incomplete albinism in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo).
Within the protected Monte El Valle y Sierras de Altaona y Escalona region in southeastern Spain, a female owlet, thought to be around 40 days old, was spotted in a nest during a routine visit to band these chicks as part of a long-term monitoring project. The female, named Blanquita by the team, was the only unusually colored owlet in the clutch of four chicks.
Blanquita’s coloring is known as “incomplete albinism” because while her feathers are white, she has bright orange eyes. Albinism is the lack of the pigment melanin which often causes white feathers or fur and pink or red eyes.
The albinism is incomplete in that case because Blanquita had true melanin in their eyes (iris), but also slight black shadow in their wing feathers.
What a cute family picture.
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This is the first one to ever exist ever!?! Wow…
The first Reported case.
It’s impossible for you to know otherwise.
Yes, I unfortunately only have access to but a portion of recorded history… 😓
It could have also been reported over the last few hundred years and the writings have been lost, so then we’d both be somewhat incompletely accurate. But let me do what I can to address this potential oversight!
I did find what looks to be a summary of the research from the researchers themselves, sooooo:
While frequently reported in birds, albinism is only rarely observed in cryptically colored avian species such as owls. These images represent—to the best of our knowledge—the first reported case of incomplete albinism in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo).
And before anyone asks:
In ecology, crypsis is the ability of an animal or a plant to avoid observation or detection by other animals. It may be a predation strategy or an antipredator adaptation. Methods include camouflage, nocturnality, subterranean lifestyle and mimicry. Crypsis can involve visual, olfactory (with pheromones) or auditory concealment. When it is visual, the term cryptic coloration, effectively a synonym for animal camouflage, is sometimes used, but many different methods of camouflage are employed by animals or plants.
To clarify… the first one that has been documented.
“Pics or it doesn’t count” is a motto to live by.
This owl is so white it wears khakis to the golf course.
Pay attention to where she goes. This owl will lead you to a wizard.
For the last time… I’m not a wizard. I’m just a grump old man in a bathrobe. Mkay, kid.
The owl is the wizard,
And the wizard just likes fucking with the old man.
