Strange Partridge from Portugal (Museum specimen) (1 Viewer)

Gonçalo Elias

avesdeportugal.info

• Nov 6, 2017

• #1

Hi all,

While studying birds of Portugal at the Natural History Museum of the University of Coimbra, I found this very strange partridge (pic below).

According to the label, the bird was collected in the Coimbra area on Dec 23rd, 1946.

Please note that another odd individual is visible in the background.

Could these birds be hybrids? Some sort of mutation? Any thoughts shall be welcome.

Thanks,
Gonçalo

 

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Steve Lister

Senior Birder, ex County Recorder, Garden Moths.

• Nov 6, 2017

• #2

It looks like parts of two different skins stuck together.

Steve

 

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Nov 6, 2017

• #3

http://boc-online.org/bulletins/downloads/boc1371-vanGrouw.pdf

In that Article by Hein van Grouw dealing with melanism and relatedt mutations there is a similar aberrant redlegged partridge ,
which he describes as a form of melanism:

Page 31, "Figure 16. Specimen of Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa with a form of melanism that has changed the usual pattern and markings (left, NHMUK 1923.1.29.1) and a normal-coloured individual (right, NHMUK 1907.12.20.7); due to a mutation, the black head and throat markings are altered and the solid-coloured back, shoulders and wing feathers (based mainly on eumelanin) now exhibit distinctive patterns based on both
melanin types, and some parts resemble the flanks plumage (Harry Taylor, © Natural History Museum,
London) "

So I think you have a very aberrant redlegged partridge

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Nov 6, 2017

• #4

Steve Lister said:

It looks like parts of two different skins stuck together.

Click to expand...

I seem to recall some kinds of fraud in the past (probaby earlier than 1946 though) of taxidermists sticking bits of various animals together to make a seemingly rare and unique creature to sell for greater profit?

 

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Nov 6, 2017

• #5

just check out page 31, figure 16 in above mentioned publication. that is really close!

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Nov 6, 2017

• #6

Joern Lehmhus said:

just check out page 31, figure 16 in above mentioned publication. that is really close!

Click to expand...

Yep.

 

S

stevethehydra

Well-known member

• Nov 6, 2017

• #7

Front half of an Alectoris sp. and back half of a young Common Pheasant?

 

Gonçalo Elias

avesdeportugal.info

• Nov 8, 2017

• #8

Thanks everyone for the opinions.

@Joern Lehmhus: thank you for the link, in fact it looks strikingly similar.

 

C

Cinereous

Well-known member

• Nov 8, 2017

• #9

Joern Lehmhus said:

just check out page 31, figure 16 in above mentioned publication. that is really close!

Click to expand...

They certainly do look very much like this bird.. The Red Legged on page 32 are much paler but very similar too..

 

S

stevethehydra

Well-known member

• Nov 8, 2017

• #10

Now looked at that PDF and agreed that it looks like the same colour mutation. Very interesting - I had no idea that a mutation could change "plain" into "patterned" feathers like that!

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Nov 8, 2017

• #11

Some kind of hidden gene being expressed (eg present in the whole family from an earlier patterned ancestor species)??

Or something like that perhaps ...

 

Gonçalo Elias

avesdeportugal.info

• Nov 9, 2017

• #12

btw, any ideas about the bird in the background? Just some sort of partial leucism?

 

Joern Lehmhus

Well-known member

• Nov 10, 2017

• #13

From what is visble on the photo,I would think so, yes

 

Gonçalo Elias

avesdeportugal.info

• Nov 13, 2017

• #14

Thanks Joern