Wanted: species with black spots on irises. (1 Viewer)

Oruga

Biodiversity nerd

• Apr 16, 2017

• #1

I know that oystercatchers and black woodpeckers have black spots on their overall light irises. And now I've noticed that some species of aracaris have them too. All have spots at the same place. It seems there might be some advantage if this trait appears across so many families.
Do you know any other species that have such spots? I would appreciate such information as I'd like to make a list.

Example of an eye with a spot, chestnut-eared aracari (Pteroglossus castanotis).

 

Attachments

• 
  ar-eye.jpg

  63.4 KB · Views: 91
• 
  ar-eye2.jpg

  57.3 KB · Views: 86

ovenbird43

Well-known member

• Apr 17, 2017

• #2

I'm not sure what other species have them, but apparently in oystercatchers it's primarily females that have them. It'd be interesting to know what purpose (if any) they serve, and if the black spots are sex-specific in the other taxa.

 

Oruga

Biodiversity nerd

• May 5, 2017

• #3

ovenbird43, thank you for reminding. Indeed, I've also read that paper on oystercatchers. Will keep the sex-dimorphism hypothesis in mind when checking other species for the spots.

 

Mark Lew1s

My real name is Mark Lewis

• May 5, 2017

• #4

Pretty much all woodpigeons have them.

 

JWN Andrewes

Poor Judge of Pasta.

• May 5, 2017

• #5

Various pigeon species (eg Superb Fruit Dove) have dark areas on the iris.

The Green Woodpecker attached had some dark dappling on the iris but this does not appear to be a general feature of the species. If you're interested I can do a closer crop that would show more detail.

 

Attachments

• 
  07 woodpecker 2.jpg

  334.5 KB · Views: 49

B

birdmeister

Well-known member

• May 5, 2017

• #6

I believe Acorn Woodpecker shows this nicely.

 

F

fugl

Well-known member

• May 5, 2017

• #7

Interesting thread. Just went through some of my photos to see what I could find.

Wrentit. Not free-floating black spots but a fringe of dark brown spots around the pupil.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fugl/20018928673/in/album-72157654707793348/

 

J

johnallcock

Well-known member

• May 6, 2017

• #8

It's a feature of Cinnamon and von Schrenck's Bittern:
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=59930&Bird_ID=1103&Bird_Family_ID=&Location=
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=21897&Bird_ID=1093&Bird_Family_ID=&Location=

... but not of related Yellow Bittern:
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=111403&Bird_ID=1094&Bird_Family_ID=&Location=

I've had conversations with others in the past about these so I'd be very interested to hear if anyone does know the reason for these black spots.