why does it happen?

[Dude]

why does sum birds grow out totally white feathers? My friends kestrel growed one single white 2ndary feather. In her first moult. I also saw a pic here at the IFF of a peregrine with one white tail feather, that bird was growed that feather after the 3rd moult. Before that it was totally normal.

Cheers.

[AngelJakki]

I have a friend wih Steppes that has one white feather on the wing she was in moult when I took this heance the apperance. This was just before she was free lofted
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[SnapeDek]

it must be genetic because last year a full clutch of carrion crows three i think fledged not far from my house and they all had alot of white feathers in there wings yet the parents did not.Rich

[Grey_Squirrel_Hawker]

it must be genetic because last year a full clutch of carrion crows three i think fledged not far from my house and they all had alot of white feathers in there wings yet the parents did not.Rich

with young crows its often due to poor diet when in the nest that causes this. i live just outside livingston in scotland and there is a huge population of carrion crows and they feed to a large extent on fast food s****s as there are alot of fast food outlets in the area, and as such alot of the young (infact almost all of them) have "pied" markings, particularly on the wings. but it often moults out in the second year. it is belived to be caused by a high fat diet when growing, but the diet is otherwise poor.

[AngelJakki]

with young crows its often due to poor diet when in the nest that causes this. i live just outside livingston in scotland and there is a huge population of carrion crows and they feed to a large extent on fast food s****s as there are alot of fast food outlets in the area, and as such alot of the young (infact almost all of them) have "pied" markings, particularly on the wings. but it often moults out in the second year. it is belived to be caused by a high fat diet when growing, but the diet is otherwise poor.
I live in the country and we have loads of crows with white feathers in the wings too. Theres no fast food outlets near by nearest being 5miles away?????

[Jimmy]

Theres no fast food outlets near by nearest being 5miles away?????

5 miles isn't very far, as the crow flies :lol: :lol:

[AngelJakki]

5 miles isn't very far, as the crow flies :lol: :lol:
Aye true but these crows are here every day maybe they are junk food junkies by night ;-)

[Grey_Squirrel_Hawker]

I live in the country and we have loads of crows with white feathers in the wings too. Theres no fast food outlets near by nearest being 5miles away?????


there was a question regarding "pied" marking in young crows in cage and aviary mag, a few years ago n the answer was it was caused by a poor diet when in the nest, the fact that the fast food junkies in my area all have pied markings in their first year (and sometimes longer) backs that up. ive also noticed that alot of the county crows away from the fast food areas near to me have "hoodie crow" markings for some time after fledging, albeit very pale markings. perhaps this is a way for the adults to distingish younger crows form older ones.