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Melanin is the primary
pigment that determines the color of a bird’s feathers,
skin, and eyes.
Albinism is an inherited problem caused by an alteration in
one or more of the genes that are responsible for
melanin
producing or it distributing. Contrary to popular belief, albinos are
therefore not necessarily pure white. In an albino of a
species with
carotenoids
as additional color, these pigments remain present. And
dependent on the natural location of the carotenoids such a
bird will remain completely or partially yellow or red
colors.
Our first
all-white shafttail female is offspring of parents
with normal/wild plumage color. I'm quite sure mother
is split to isabelle,
and father is split to
creamino and isabelle. The creamino and isabelle
mutations in their daughter "work" together to remove from the
bird pigment melanin, just as a true albino mutation would.
Albino shafttail finches are extremely rare in aviculture.
To get some genetic
explanation of albino mutation
click here. |
