First record of colour aberration in Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis (Hartlaub, 1891) (Passeriformes: Acrocephalidae) from Central Marshes of southern Iraq, with notes on its intraspecific/interspecific behavior
Main Article Content
Abstract
Pigment disorders such as albinism, leucism and progressive greying, which cause the absence of melanin pigments in all or parts of the plumage and bare parts, have been reported in many wild bird populations including Acrocephalus warblers. Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis (Hartlaub, 1891) is a restricted-range species confined to the extensive reed beds of Mesopotamian marshes. It is listed as Endangered due to breeding habitat degradation, water scarcity and climate change. In April 2018, a partly white plumaged Basra Reed Warbler was sighted in Central Marshes in southern Iraq. This is the first report of such a plumage aberration in this species. The nature of the aberration involved an intraspecific/interspecific behavior of the white plumaged Basra Reed Warbler are described.
Article Details
Authors own the copyright to the articles published in JoTT. This is indicated explicitly in each publication. The authors grant permission to the publisher Wildlife Information Liaison Development (WILD) Society to publish the article in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The authors recognize WILD as the original publisher, and to sell hard copies of the Journal and article to any buyer. JoTT is registered under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY), which allows authors to retain copyright ownership. Under this license the authors allow anyone to download, cite, use the data, modify, reprint, copy and distribute provided the authors and source of publication are credited through appropriate citations (e.g., Son et al. (2016). Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam. Journal of Threatened Taxa 8(7): 8953–8969. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2785.8.7.8953-8969). Users of the data do not require specific permission from the authors or the publisher.
References
Alaja, P. & H. Mikkola (1997). Albinism in the Great Gray Owl Strix nebulosa and other owls. In: Duncan, J.R., D.H. Johnson & T.H. Nicholls (ed.). Biology and Conservation of Owls of The Northern Hemisphere. General Technical Report NC-190, USDA Forest Service, Washington, D.C., 632p.
Baker, K. (1997). Warblers of Europe, Asia and North Africa-Princeton. Princeton University Press, 400pp+48 col.pls.
Birdlife International (2018). Acrocephalus griseldis (amended version of assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T22714757A118739069. Downloaded on 30 April 2018; https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T22714757A118739069.en
Collins, C.T. (2003). A leucistic Willet in California. Western Birds 34(2): 118–119.
Ellegren, H., G. Lindgren, C.R. Primmer & A.P. Moller (1997). Fitness loss and germline mutations in Barn Swallows breeding in Chernobyl. Nature 389(6651): 593–596.
Fadhel, O. (2007). Days in Iraq with the Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis. Sandgrouse 29: 95–97.
Forrest, S.C. & R. Naveen (2000). Prevalence of leucism in pygocelid Penguins of the Antarctic Peninsula. Waterbirds 23(2): 283–285.
Kennerley, P. & D. Pearson (2010). Reed and Bush Warblers. Christopher Helm & Black, London, 712pp+48 col. pls.
Mahabal, A., H. van Grouw, R.M. Sharma & S. Thakur (2016). How common is albinism really? Colour aberrations in Indian birds reviewed. Dutch Birding 38: 301–309.
Perlman, Y. & I. Shanni (2008). Basra Reed Warblers breeding in Israel. Alula 14(1): 46–47.
Pomarede, M. (1991). As mutações e as variedades brancas de aves de gaiola. Atualidades Ornitológicas 40: 13–14.
Porter, R.F. & S. Aspinall (2010). Birds of the Middle East. Christopher Helm, London, 384pp.
Sage, B.L. (1963). The incidence of albinism and melanism in British birds. British Birds 56: 409–416.
Salim, M.A., O.F. Al-Sheikhly, K.A. Majeed & R.F. Porter (2012). Annotated checklist of the birds of Iraq. Sandgrouse 34: 3–44.
Santos T. (1981). Variantes de plumaje y malformaciones en Turdus spp. Ardeola 28: 133–138.
Urban, E.K., C.H. Fry & S. Keith (1997). The Birds of Africa - vol. V. Academic Press, London, xix+ 669pp.
van Grouw, H. (2012). What colour is that sparrow? A case study: colour aberrations in the House Sparrow, Passer domesticus. International Studies on Sparrows 36: 30–55.
van Grouw, H. (2013). What colour is that bird? The causes and recognition of common colour aberrations in birds. British Birds 106: 17–29.
van Grouw, H. (2014). Some black-and-white facts about the Faeroese white-speckled Common Raven Corvus corax varius. Bulletin of the British Ornithologist’s Club 134: 4–13.
van Grouw, H. (2018). White feathers in black birds. British Birds 111: 250–263.
Yésou, P., Flohart, G. & Murdoch, D. (2007). First record of Basra Reed Warbler Acrocephalus griseldis for Syria. Sandgrouse 29(2): 214–215.