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Unusual Peregrine colouration (1 Viewer)

A

Andyt

Well-known member
Hi,

I have come across this unusually coloured female Peregrine. The breast has a very pronounced red colouration. The hood is a very dark brown/black with some reddish mixed into it as well with a yellow eye-ring that stands out.

The chicks had a simialar colouration when first born but seem to have lost this since.

I wonder if anybody else has come across this and what may have caused it, e.g. genetic mutation, hybridisation, diet ?


Peregrine1.jpg

Peregrine2.jpg

Peregrine3.jpg
 
interesting, looks very like one of the southern asiatic races that are extensively rufous below and have solidly black hoods, wonder if its an escape?

Rob
 
It could be a hybrid for falconry. If you look at its' feet one of them has what looks like a breeder's band (ring?).
 
Very nice Peregrine have been told that you can get very dark Peregrines in parts of Scotland Wat part I'm afraid I don't know. Found a very dark falcon in Bamburgh Northumberland last year,black as opposed to blue full black head and red to orange front all the way down to the feet no white or cream at all very like a Black Shaheen the Indian forest race of Peregrine Iam sure it was wild and probably a color mutation as Black shaheens are not kept in the uk and are rare in captivity in Europe
 
It does look escaped brookeish with that head pattern - but it appears to be one of the larger peregrines, even for a female. Presumably it's mated with the nominate species either way! But assigning Peregrines to subspecies, can be difficult as there are possible clinal mixes (although in Scotland, calidus with peregrinus more likely than brookei obviously, and this would produce a paler not darker bird) - As a breeding individual, the yellow eye ring isn't a problem of course and a pinky salmon wash on underbody isn't unusual in peregrinus.

(It doesn't appear to be ringed - that's a claw in the first pic and the legs aren't visible, only the feet which don't get banded!)
 
Last edited:
Brookei was also my initial thought but as far as I am aware this species has never been recorded in the UK. Also it appears to be much darker than the photos of brookei I have seen.

It is indeed paired with a nominate male. As Deborah says, it is not ringed.

That leaves a colour mutation or escaped bird or....one of those dark birds jerkin mentions. Does anyone have any more information on these dark birds from Scotland ?

Ta.
 
Andyt said:
Does anyone have any more information on these dark birds from Scotland ?
Click to expand...

I've taken the liberty of posting your initial post and photos on a Falconry Forum, as some of the members there will be familiar with the various subspecies etc. I hope you don't mind.
I'll let you know if there's any feedback.

Keith.
 
Keith Glasgow said:
I've taken the liberty of posting your initial post and photos on a Falconry Forum, as some of the members there will be familiar with the various subspecies etc. I hope you don't mind.
I'll let you know if there's any feedback.

Keith.
Click to expand...

Keith, I've intersepted your post, and can tell you this is no Brookei, or
Black Shaheen or a Hybrid of any kind . this is Soil staining from minerals leaching out of the soil or Rocks when wet. Young peregrines never have
coloured down like this and . In Devon we have some Red Sandstone cliffs
that stain the birds a little like this.
 
Andrew Ellis said:
Keith, I've intersepted your post, and can tell you this is no Brookei, or
Black Shaheen or a Hybrid of any kind . this is Soil staining from minerals leaching out of the soil or Rocks when wet. Young peregrines never have
coloured down like this and . In Devon we have some Red Sandstone cliffs
that stain the birds a little like this.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your input Andrew, and yes, most of those who are familiar with the various subspecies in captivity, are of the opinion that it is Soil staining.
I wonder if that is the same red colour visible in the rock behind the chicks, and among the bones on the ledge - or am I reading too much into the picture?

Keith.
 
I have one more , rather more disturbing theory and please I hope this
is not the case but I have known people who don't like Peregrines very much to
pour various nasty subtsances on a female and young when she is brooding them
in an effort to poison them . Its a slim possibility but not out of the question that
she may have had red diesle dumped on her! Andyt, is the site bieng monitered?
I hope so. My initial theory of staining from the minerals in the soil still is the
probable cause but they should be watched closely !!!
 
Andrew Ellis said:
I have one more , rather more disturbing theory and please I hope this
is not the case but I have known people who don't like Peregrines very much to
pour various nasty subtsances on a female and young when she is brooding them
in an effort to poison them . Its a slim possibility but not out of the question that
she may have had red diesle dumped on her! Andyt, is the site bieng monitered?
I hope so. My initial theory of staining from the minerals in the soil still is the
probable cause but they should be watched closely !!!
Click to expand...

Keith and Andrew,

Thanks for your comments which are very useful. Andrew may well be right. The rocks nearby though not in the eyrie do have a similar colouration and that would be the most logical explanation. However, one question arises. Why would the chicks, which have not been away from the ledge yet, acquire this colouration and then lose it ?
 
Andyt said:
Why would the chicks, which have not been away from the ledge yet, acquire this colouration and then lose it ?
Click to expand...


I would assume, and I'm guessing here, that because the female sits tighter in the first few days, the colour has been transfered to the chicks. Now they're older, she's not brooding so closely?

Or has the 'red puddle' she's been using to wash in, dried up - has there been no rain for a few days? Or maybe she's dustbathing somewhere?

Only guessing,
Keith.
 
looks to me like the pigments from the sandstone/rock are rubbing on the birds feathers as can be seen from the nest shot
 
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